Courage and Cunning
by preciousann
Summary: Salazar Slytherin has had enough of Dumbledore and Voldemort's stupidity, so on October 31, 1981 he decides to put a stop to the wizarding war. Things do not go according to plan. He loses his memories, but 10 years later he regains them when he gets a familiar letter. BASH! Some Weasleys & manipulative Dumbledore! Salazar is NOT a Superhero! A twist to the Harry is Salazar genre.
1. Prologue

**Salazar Slytherin has had enough of Dumbledore and Voldemort's stupidity, so on October 31, 1981 he decides to put a stop to the wizarding war. Things do not go according to plan. He loses his memories, but 10 years later he regains them when he gets a familiar letter. BASH! Some Weasleys & manipulative Dumbledore! Salazar is NOT a Superhero! A twist to the Harry is Salazar genre.**

**I just want to say again that Salazar is not all powerful and is not all knowing. He will make mistakes. There are some things he knows, but there is a lot he doesn't. Please remember to review! Thank you so much! **

* * *

**Prologue**

**October 30th 1981**

_Godric's Hollow, oh how you have changed._ Salazar thought as he stared around in wonder. _It's been 500 years since I last saw you. Well, nevermind that. On with business._

Salazar sighed and pulled his hooded black cloak tighter around himself as he made his way towards the little cottage on the outskirts of the village. He, unfortunately, could see it now thanks to a certain little rat.

"Must I think of everything?" He grumbled to himself. "I know Dumbledore is a Gryffindor, but Merlin, the man is just _too _reckless _and _a touch mad. This war needs to be stopped, and it needs to be stopped now."

With a little concentration, the cottage came into view and he smiled as he heard the little family shuffling around inside. They were still hidden to the outside world of course, not that it mattered now though.

"This is not going to go very well." He muttered with a sigh as he knocked loudly on the door.

He heard more shuffling and the door opened just a crack.

"Who are you?" A man with messy black hair and glasses asked.

"A friend." Salazar answered. "Your family has been betrayed by Peter Pettigrew. I need to speak with both you and your wife."

"We do not know you, so why…"

"Please Mr. Potter. Not on the front step. We need to discuss this inside." Salazar said, hitting the man with a very light compulsion charm.

"Very well." James said, opening the door to let him through.

Salazar stepped inside the small cottage, looked around, and smiled at the coziness of it. He hadn't been this warm in over two months. Not since…

"Who are you?" Lily demanded as she stood in the foyer, gripping her wand tightly in her hand.

Salazar snapped out of his thoughts, lowered his hood, and both Potters gasped in fright. Salazar knew that they recognized him. After all there are many, many pictures of all the Founders all over the wizarding world. Not to mention all the chocolate frog collectables, but he figured he would introduce himself properly anyway.

"My name is Salazar Slytherin, and your family is in grave danger. A few hours ago your friend Peter Pettigrew betrayed your location to Voldemort. It is imperative that you leave the country immediately. He is planning on attacking tomorrow."

"And we should trust you because…?" James asked, letting his voice trail off and looking at Salazar cautiously.

"Because I was there when he did it." Salazar said with as much patience as he could muster. "I know it sounds unbelievable, but trust me, it's not."

"If you were there, then how do we know you're not here to kill us? And how do we know your information is correct?" Lily started to ask.

"Do I look familiar?" Salazar asked, before hanging into his animagus form.

James and Lily gasped at the 15 foot python that was suddenly laying at their feet.

"Voldemort's snake!" Lily cried, as she backed up a few steps.

Salazar reverted back to human form and sighed. "I am not here to harm you or Harry. You must believe me. That wretched Heir of mine needs to die a slow painful death for what he has done, and I aim to see that it gets carried out."

"So why haven't you done anything yet?" James asked pointedly, as he kept his wand trained on Salazar.

"For the last 20 years I have been abroad. I have traveled to many different countries, and the news coming out of Britain has been very slow to reach them. I was in South America, Brazil to be exact, up until six months ago. When I learned of the horror that he has caused I came back to help defeat him, though I must admit that at the time I had no idea that he was my Heir. It has taken me nearly as long to play 'catch up'. Voldemort 'acquired' me two months ago after he killed his other pet snake for disobeying him. He is so stuck on this blasted prophecy that he has become obsessed with killing an infant child. The whole thing is a load of bullocks in my opinion, and I can't believe that Dumbledore has gotten ensnared in it too, but never the less, Voldemort needs to be stopped."

"You don't believe in it?" James asked, lowering his wand just a bit.

Salazar scoffed and shook his head. "No I do not. I have lived for over 1,000 years and never _once_ has a prophecy come true. Divination is a load of crap and I can't even began to tell you how disappointed I am over the fact that Hogwarts teaches it."

"How have you lived this long?" Lily asked.

"Immortality is a funny thing." Salazar said with a slight smile. "It's good at first, but after a while it becomes stale. I performed a spell, a spell mixed with runes, charms, and the dark arts. I achieved what no other wizard in history has been able to do, and believe me when I tell you, I wish I hadn't."

"What do you suggest we do?" James asked.

Salazar took a deep breath and sighed. "I suggest you leave the country. From what I know from being at Voldemort's side for the last two months, killing him isn't so simple. He has let slip to me about his horcruxes. Plural. He has made more than one."

James's widened in surprise. "You are kidding. Does Dumbledore…?"

"No." Salazar said shaking his head. "And I don't trust Dumbledore either, but Voldemort needs to be stopped _now_. Killing him right now won't make it permanent, but it will save more lives. It will also give me more time to study his life, and figure out what, and where, they are so I can destroy them."

"You don't trust Dumbledore?" James asked.

"No I don't." Salazar said gravely. "I know things about Dumbledore that would make your hair curl. The whole thing with Grindelwald was a bit fishy, and he has known about Voldemort all this time and has done _nothing_ to stop him. Why didn't he stop him _years_ ago before he became this powerful? He spouts about 'the greater good', and that was Grindelwald's philosophy too. I know Dumbledore is a great wizard, and I know he is a champion for the light, but this war is so much more than that. You cannot win a war using stunners and tickling jinxes. You need real spells and you need to fight as dirty as they do, or you will die. Voldemort and the Death Eaters are out to kill you, and he makes you all play with leg lockers and body binds in the hope that you can capture and 'reform' them. That simply won't work. Trust me, I've seen _many_ more wars than I care to mention."

"That never made sense to me either." Lily admitted quietly. "I don't want to kill anyone, but this is war, and whether we like it or not, we are part of it. Killing someone who is trying to kill you is not murder, it is self-defense."

"You are a muggle born, and you have the ability to see the difference." Salazar said with smile. "You have the advantage of being from both worlds. Most wizards are at a disadvantage because it has been drilled into their minds from birth, light is good, dark is bad. Muggle borns can see grey better than most."

"My grandfather was a solider in the muggle World War II." She said, looking up at Salazar. "He had to kill or be killed. I tried to explain that to Albus, but he wouldn't hear it. He said to kill another person is bad, no matter the circumstances."

"Well he is wrong." Salazar said firmly. "That's why I don't trust him. He thinks what he knows is the best, but he is simply wrong. You have a good head on your shoulders Mrs. Potter."

"Do you want to leave Lily?" James asked, looking over at his wife.

She looked up with tears in her eyes. "Yes, and no." She said softly. "Albus is just as hell bent on this prophecy as Voldemort is. I don't want to run, but Harry is just a _baby_. Albus says Harry is the only one who can stop him, but James, it will be _years _before Harry can do that. He expects us to stay hidden in this house until then. It's simply _not _logical. I don't want to leave our friends, but we have to think about our _son_."

James took his wife's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I understand Lily." He said softly. Then he turned back to Salazar. "I am assuming you have a plan."

"I do." Salazar said with a nod.

Lily nodded. "Come and sit Salazar." She said, motioning for him to follow her into the kitchen. "I'll make us some tea."

"That would be lovely Mrs. Potter. Thank you." Salazar said, as he sat down.

"I have one more thing." James said, as he also took a seat at the kitchen table. "Why haven't you just killed him? You have been with him for two months, so why not just do it?"

"Because not all the Death Eaters are in one place." Salazar said simply. "They are all spread out, and not even I know where they all are, or who they all are. I know the inner circle of course, but not all the rest. Tomorrow when he comes here, they will all be gathered at a special meeting place. I will be able to get rid of him here, and hopefully get to the rest of them before they flee. Getting you all out of the country is just a precaution. If I'm not able to kill them all, no doubt they will come after you, and Harry will be in even more danger."

"Crazy followers out for revenge." James said.

"Not to mention, he will still be around. Just not in his body." Lily added.

"That too." Salazar said with a nod.

James looked to the window where the shades and curtains were closed tightly. "They are out there right now, aren't they?"

Salazar nodded. "Yes. Which is why I cannot leave the house tonight. No doubt they will try to kill me. I know they are not supposed to attack you, but the anti-apparition wards extend all the way into the main village, and Dumbledore, the fool that he is, placed anti-disapparition jinxes on the house. They would get to me before I could apparate out. Not that they could kill me, but still, they would no doubt try. I had to be careful just coming here."

"Why should we trust you?" James asked, narrowing his eyes at Salazar. "You're Salazar Slytherin for crying out loud. Hater of muggles, muggle borns…"

"Please stop." Salazar said, throwing up his hand. "I know I have past demons, and I know I am the root cause of all this stupidity, but time has a way of changing a man. The world has changed, and I am not the blasted idiot I once was. For many centuries I stood by and let what has happened, happen. I am not proud of it, but this war…" He sighed and shook his head. "This war is stupid and pointless. Voldemort is killing off families who oppose him. Good families…ancient families, and he doesn't understand that he is no better than the muggles who killed witches and wizards all those many years ago. The pure bloods of today cannot see past the end of their up-turned pompous noses, and it's a wonder they don't drown when it rains. I am not proud of what I have caused, but I want to help stop it. For centuries I have hidden away from wizard society, but no longer. I want to try and change their way of thinking, but first we need to get rid of Voldemort."

"So what is the plan?" Lily asked, serving the tea.

Salazar sighed again. "I have a portkey to Brazil. It will take you right to my villa in Rio de Janeiro. It's an illegal portkey I admit, but it's untraceable by the Ministry, which Voldemort has infiltrated. There is a wizarding populace there of about 2,000, and they have an alley similar to Diagon Alley called Rio Way. They mainly speak Portuguese, but they are fluent in English too. Not many from the British Wizarding world have gone there, if any. Most have fled to America or France. The plan is for you to leave tonight, and not come back until it's safe." He said, as he took a small tin can out of his pocket. "I have two very old house elves who have been badly mistreated by their masters, and they have agreed to help me in this matter. When Voldemort comes tomorrow night, they will drink Polyjuice Potion and disguise themselves as you, and I will disguise myself as Harry. I cannot be killed, so don't worry about me. The killing curse bounces off me and rebounds onto the caster. James, Lily, and Harry Potter will die tomorrow, but Voldemort will also be destroyed. Once he loses his body and flees, I will revert back to my normal appearance and hunt down the horcruxes he has made, and I will destroy them. Once he regains his body, and he will, I will kill him. After that, you can return here if you wish. I know you have friends, and I know it will be hard for you to allow them to think you are dead, but it's for your own safety and theirs. Voldemort is consumed by this prophecy, and believes in it fully. As long as he is alive, he will hunt you if he thinks you are too. It is vital that this remains between us. No one else can know."

"Are you sure this will work?" James asked.

Salazar nodded. "I am positive, but I don't know how long it will take me to figure out how many horcruxes he has, what they are, and where they are. You have to understand that this may take many, many years. You must not return, under any circumstances, until I say otherwise."

"I don't know how I feel about sacrificing two house elves to this cause." Lily said, shaking her head.

"Would you feel better if you met them?" Salazar asked.

Lily seemed to think about it for a moment, but then she slowly nodded. "Yes, I think I would."

"I do too." James said quietly. "At least to thank them for what they are going to do."

Salazar smiled at the young couple. "Very well then. Fripsy! Mitzy!" He called out softly.

Two very old and ancient looking elves appeared. Lily and James's eyes widened in surprise at their appearance. It was plain to both Potters that these elves had been abused. There were scars all over their bodies, their skin hung on them like bags, and their eyes were dull with age.

"Mr. Salazar called for us?" One of the elves asked in a very horse whisper.

"Yes Fripsy." He said gently. "Mr. and Mrs. Potter wished to meet you."

Both elves turned to look at the Potters. "It is an honor to meet you both." Fripsy said. "It is also an honor to carry out this plan for Mr. Salazar."

The Potters were too shocked to say anything, but Mitzy went on to speak. "We are old and have grown weary of working for our family. They mistreat us, and we have decided to sever our bond with our Masters. This action has sealed our fate. We will die either way, but we chose to die under our own terms, and in our own way."

"They were owned by the Malfoys." Salazar said sadly, shaking his head in disgust.

James's eyes grew dark with fury, but Lily got down on her knees and took their hands gently. "We have never believed that creatures, especially elves, should be treated cruelly as you have clearly been. Is this what you truly want to do?"

"It is Mrs. Potter." Fripsy said with a bow. "It will be an honor for us."

"Then I will honor your request." She said, wiping a tear away.

"Never should an elf be treated the way you have." James said. "This is appalling."

"Our Masters are evil. They care not for anyone but themselves and those like-minded as them." Mitzy said, shaking her head. "We chose to defy them and help get rid of the Dark Lord."

James nodded. "Very well. I think Lily and I are in agreement. Salazar, we will take you up on your offer. Am I to assume that we should leave immediately?"

Salazar nodded. "Yes. The quicker the better. Voldemort plans on being here tomorrow, and he will come alone. He believes that you are unaware of what has happened, and thinks he can kill you quickly without a fight. We want him to keep believing that."

The Potters nodded. "I will go and get Harry ready for traveling." Lily said, standing up to leave.

"Take only what you will need for the immediate future, the rest can be replaced. It won't be good for the house to be emptied because it will look suspicious. Take only the most valuable and treasured items such as a few pictures and things. As for your finances, the goblins will know that you are not dead because your wills will not be activated, but they can be trusted. They are not as stupid as most wizards make them out to be. Contact the goblins in Rio as soon as you can. There is a Gringotts branch there, and have all your money transferred from here to there. I have left a packet with directions to Rio Way, along with fake identities, on a small table in my villa's foyer. Make it your home, because we do not know how long this will take. There are elves there that have been instructed to care for you, and help you settle in. I will contact you when I can."

James and Lily nodded, and began to pack a few things. It didn't take very long, and soon they were back in the kitchen with Lily holding Harry in her arms.

"Take care of your family, and be safe." Salazar said.

"Thank you." James said, shaking Salazar's hand. "You have given our family something to look forward too."

"Yes, thank you very much." Lily said, giving him a light hug, while trying not to rouse a sleeping Harry.

"You are young, and you don't deserve all that has happened to you, but you are welcome." He said with a smile. "I will see you when I can. To activate the portkey, just say Salazar's villa."

James and Lily nodded, and Harry stirred lightly in Lily's arms as she maneuvered him so that he could place a small hand on the tin can. With one last goodbye and round of thanks, James called out the phrase, and James, Lily, and Harry Potter left a war torn land, and arrived in the safety of Rio.

* * *

**October 31, 1981**

Salazar, Mitzy, and Fripsy spent all day taking swigs of Polyjuice from small hidden goblets, but at 11pm, the front door suddenly blew off its hinges.

"Lily, Lily! He's here! It's him! Take Harry and go! Run Lily! Run!"

Voldemort smiled cruelly and lazily lifted his wand to cast a killing curse at an unarmed 'James Potter'. Upstairs, 'Lily Potter' pleaded for her son's life like any good mother would do, but refused to back down and get out of the way when Voldemort told her too.

From his position in the crib, 'Harry Potter' stared at this odd display of mercy from the ruthless killer, and wondered what it could possibly mean. When 'Lily' still refused, Voldemort killed her and then turned his wand towards the 'baby' in the crib.

'Harry Potter' wasn't worried about dying, and didn't even flinch when the green light sailed towards him, but something unexpected happened. Something that the 'baby' sitting in the crib could not have foreseen.

The green light hit his forehead, and 'Harry' screamed in pain as an explosion blasted apart the roof of the house. The last thing 'Harry' remembered was a black mist screaming with rage and flying away. Then darkness consumed him.


	2. Ten Years Later

**Chapter 2**

**Ten Years Later**

Harry Potter was a normal boy just like any other, but deep down Harry knew he was different. Ever since he could remember he felt off, like there was something he was supposed to be doing. Almost like he was supposed to be someone else entirely. He never told this to his relatives though, and shivered as he remembered the first time that he had. He spent almost three days in his cupboard as punishment for talking about abnormal things.

Harry though, always knew something wasn't right. Not just with himself, but with his home life. His Aunt and Uncle treated him like a second rate citizen. They verbally abused him, starved him, and occasionally beat him if they felt like he had done something abnormal. His cousin used him as a punching bag at their encouragement, and he didn't even have a room of his own. He slept in a cupboard! Even at the grand old age of eleven, Harry knew that something wasn't right.

It all became clear on one summer day though. He had been fixing breakfast for is relatives, when the familiar sound of mail being slipped through the letter slot was heard. He was ordered to go get the mail, and sighed as set down the tea pot he had been holding. He quickly scurried into the front hall and gathered up the small pile. A strange looking envelope caught his eye, and he shuffled through the letters until it was on top.

Harry stared at it dumbfounded as he caught sight of his name written in green ink. He slowly turned it over and saw that the back was sealed with wax, and it had a strangely familiar looking 'H' embedded in it. He cocked his head to the side as he stared at it.

"It also looks like it has a lion, a badger, a bird, and a…and a…snake." He whispered as he peered closer at it.

Suddenly he screamed and clutched at his head as memories flooded his mind. Memories too old to be an eleven year old boys. The letters in his hand went flying up in the air, and the special letter floated down and somehow wedged itself underneath the gap of his cupboard door.

Harry Potter laid on the floor shaking as the memories continued to batter his mind, and he vaguely felt his Uncle Vernon snatching him up and yelling in his face.

"BOY!" The pompous man roared. "What is the matter with you?!"

Unable to control the shaking, but somewhat coming to his senses, Harry managed to make something up.

"A…a…spider. A really big spider. It scared me. I'm sorry Uncle Vernon." He croaked out. "It…it…went over there." He said, pointing towards the little table by the front door.

Vernon eyed the direction in which Harry pointed very carefully.

"Find it and kill it then." He said, roughly releasing Harry, who nodded and backed away.

Grumbling, Vernon picked up the letters and waddled back into the kitchen where Harry heard him making snide remarks about being scared of such things. Harry just shook his head, and still trembling from the constant onslaught of memories, took off his shoe and began banging it on the floor. He quickly opened the front door to make them believe he had thrown it out, and slammed it shut again, before carefully making his way into the kitchen.

"I got it." He announced.

"Good." Vernon grunted. "Go to your cupboard. I don't want to hear anymore out of you today."

"Yes sir." Harry mumbled, and quickly made his way to it, and shut the door behind him.

He sat on his makeshift bed, and stared at the letter laying at his feet.

"Son of Morgana. Son of Morgana. Son of Morgana." He whispered over and over, as he rested his head between his hands. "How could this have happened? What went wrong? I need to sort this out."

'Harry' laid down on his bed, and began sorting through the jumble of thoughts and memories that were still assaulting his mind. It wasn't painful, but it was shocking to have all this happen in a span of five minutes, and the disorganization wasn't helping.

Salazar had always been a stickler for a well-organized mind, so this, to him, was a nightmare. His occlumency had gone to pot, and all of his memories of being 'Harry' had to be sorted through. Clearing his mind was going to take time.

* * *

For hours he laid there sorting and clearing his mind, and the more he sorted and cleared, the angrier he became.

_These people are lucky that I know all muggles don't act like this._ He thought, as he scowled at the cupboard door. _Because if I was still the old me, I'd kill them where they stand. Fat bunch of…_

"BOY!" Vernon yelled. "Get out here and start supper!"

Clenching his fists and gritting his teeth, 'Harry' opened the door and made his way into the kitchen.

_I need to get through this day and began planning. I need to act as normal as I can before I make my escape. This has to be done with the up most caution._ He thought, as be busied himself with dinner.

Wishing he had his wand so that he could make the process go faster, 'Harry' painstakingly cut up onions, potatoes, and spices to add to the roast that he was making. Upon completion, and knowing it would take several hours before it was finished cooking, he turned towards his 'Uncle' who was sitting at the table.

"I'm finished. It will be a few hours before the roast is ready."

"Good. Go back to your cupboard then."

"May I go and use the loo?"

"Hurry up." The odious man grunted.

Glaring at the man stuffing his face with a piece of cake, 'Harry' made his way upstairs. He used the loo, and being careful not to flush just yet, stared at himself in the mirror. His lightning bolt scar was still there, and for all it was worth, he looked like a young James Potter.

_What the hell went wrong?_ He thought, as he studied himself. _Why do I have a scar? Obliviously I'm growing like a child, but why? The Polyjuice should have worn off loooooong ago, so why am I like this? What went wrong!?_

He was roused out of his thoughts as Dudley banged on the door.

"Hurry up in there you freak!" He yelled.

Salazar gritted his teeth, flushed the toilet, washed his hands, and opened the door. He scowled at his 'cousin', and was shoved into the opposite wall for it.

"Watch it freak, and learn your place!" Dudley yelled, and laughed when 'Harry' winced and rubbed his elbow.

_Filthy muggles. Now it all makes sense. They must know I'm a wizard, but why haven't they ever told me? Hmm, this needs careful study. Who exactly are these people? I know they are Lily's family, but why do they act this way? Why don't they like wizards? Petunia is Lily's sister, so it's not like they don't know that magic exists. I need answers._ He thought, as he closed the door to his cupboard.

Salazar picked up the Hogwarts acceptance letter, opened it, and began to read.

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Inside you will find…

_Blah, blah, blah, blah. Some things never change._ Salazar thought with a sigh, as he tossed the letter aside. He picked up the envelope and studied the address.

Mr. H. Potter

Cupboard Under The Stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

_Hmm, standard auto quill written. Nothing new there, but Dumbledore is still Headmaster. Ok so, nothing can be drawn from that. They think I'm Harry, but why? Harry Potter is supposed to be dead. What happened that night? _

Salazar racked his brain and brought up memories of what happened.

_I remember the killing curse coming at me, and bouncing back like it was supposed to. I remember Voldemort becoming a black mist, which is normal for a horcrux maker. I remember pain…why pain? Nothing was supposed to hurt. I remember blacking out, and nothing more until I got the letter. BLAST! I need a pensieve to better study what happened! Wait…was I obviated? _

Salazar reached deep inside himself to study is magic, which he was now well aware of.

_No. I haven't been obliviated, but my…oh what is this? _

Salazar let his magic flow around himself, and he began to feel out his surroundings.

_Hmm, wards. What kind of…blood wards! What in the name of Merlin!? Why blood wards? That does not make any sense. What is that? A tracking charm!? That will have to go. Hmm, there is an anti-apparition jinx, but there are no anti-disapparition jinxes on the house, so that is a plus. I can leave, but I can't return. _

"Not that I'd want too." He muttered bitterly.

_My magic is also severely weak, but why? Lack of use? Maybe. Malnutrition? Unhealthy life? Possibly all three. Can I apparate safely?_

Salazar stood up as best he could in the short space, and began the process of apparition, but stopped just short of completing it.

_Ok good. I can apparate, and tonight I will. My first stop is Godric's Hollow to get my wand. It's been ten years so hopefully it's still there where I hid it. _

"It better be anyway." He said loudly.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Petunia banged on the door.

"Why are you talking to yourself?!" She yelled. "Get out here so can eat your dinner. We want to eat in peace tonight."

_Shrew._ Salazar thought as he opened the door.

He shuffled into the kitchen, and began to eat his meager dinner of a sandwich, half an apple, and a glass of water. When he was done, he was told to go back to his cupboard and remain there for the rest of the night. He was locked in as soon as the door closed.

Hours passed and as bedtime drew closer, and Salazar listened to the Dursleys preparing for bed.

_Who put me here? Why? This is going to drive me insane. It was fine before I remembered who I am, but this is getting tiresome now. This is no way for a child to live. Who is responsible for this mess?_

As the hours ticked on, the house finally became still. Salazar stuffed the Hogwarts letter in his pocket because he knew he would need to get it off to Hogwarts as soon as he could. He had a sneaky suspicion that was where most of his answers laid. He stood up in the small space, and not caring about anything else in there, he apparated. The Dursleys didn't hear a thing.

* * *

Salazar landed in the graveyard at Godric's Hollow. It was a warm summer night, but knowing that he was unaware of the times, and what state the wizarding world was in, he remained alert as he made his way toward the cottage. When he arrived, he stopped and shook his head in horrified awe. The brightly lit full moon cast eerie shadows over the destruction. The half of the roof had been blown completely away, and the damage was worse than Salazar had previously thought.

_There is no way any of them would have survived that._ He thought as he glanced around.

He carefully made his way past the gate, and up the porch stairs to the front door. It had been blown inward just like he had imagined from the ruckus of that night. He crept past the broken door, and for once was thankful for his small frame as he squeezed through some of the rubble.

The inside looked worse than the outside. Years of water damage had taken its toll on the house. Mold and mildew grew on the wallpaper. The floor boards were rotted, and he had to carefully watch his step as he made his way to the back of the house. He stopped just outside the master bedroom, and carefully opened the door, least it fall off its hinges and send the whole house down on top of his head.

He smiled in relief as he spied his hiding place. The dresser that held the Potter's clothes was untouched, though it was badly damaged from the elements. He quickly made his way across the room, bent down, and wrenched the dresser drawer open. He sighed in relief as he rustled through the dirty and stained clothes.

He had found his wand.

Salazar held it close and let the wand acclimate to his magic once again, and stood there rapidly breathing in and out as it re-bonded to him.

_Thankfully wands don't rot._ He thought, as he quickly dispelled the pesky tracking charm that plagued his person. _No doubt whoever cast it will be alerted now. _

Salazar made his way his way carefully out of the room, but stopped suddenly when he heard voices coming from just outside the front door.

"The tracking charm disappeared just after the wards alerted me that someone was here. I checked, and this is the last place Harry was."

"How is that possible Albus? How would the boy get here so quickly?"

"I do not know."

_Dumbledore! _Salazar thought.

He quickly backed into the kitchen, and tested his magic to see if it was strong enough for an animagus transformation. Thankfully it was, and just as they entered the house, Salazar completed the transformation.

_That's a problem._ He thought, staring at the wand in the middle of the floor. He quickly slithered over to it, and used his tail to bat it across the floor where it came to rest under a kitchen cabinet.

"What was that?" A voice asked, as the wand clattered loudly across the floor.

Salazar cringed away at the sudden brightness that illuminated the room.

"Merlin!" A woman exclaimed, stumbling backwards as she caught sight of the snake laying in the middle of the floor. "Albus!"

Salazar coiled around himself for protection, as the woman aimed her wand at him.

"What is it Minerva?"

"A snake. It startled me. Do you think it scared Harry off?"

"Perhaps. We are the only ones here, besides our little friend."

"Little?" Minerva asked. "It must be at least 8 feet long."

_Hmm, I do feel a lot smaller than my normal size. Perhaps it's because of my smaller human size, or my weak magic._

"I think Harry must be long gone by now. Perhaps we should check at the Dursleys to make sure all is quiet there."

"Harry got his Hogwarts letter today. We need to find him Albus. He can't just wander around the wizarding world."

"I know Minerva. Maybe it was a case of accidental magic that removed it. Maybe I read the tracking charm wrong. I've been known to make mistakes before."

_More than a few I'd say._ Salazar thought, glaring at Dumbledore.

Salazar waited until they left and he had heard the familiar cracks of two people apparating away, before he resumed human form again. After collecting his wand, he grabbed a near-by piece of rotted wood.

_I know of a place that might have answers to some of my questions. Though I am pleased that a few have already been answered. _

He quickly made a portkey, and set off for Rio.

* * *

Salazar landed in an ungraceful heap in the middle of his own dinning room, and nearly knocked himself out on the table as he stood up.

"Ouch." He said, rubbing the back of his head. "Blasted weak magic."

He heard an eating utensil clatter off to his left, and looked up to see a healthier and much bigger copy of himself staring at him in stunned surprise.

"MUM! DAD! COME QUICK! I HAVE A TWIN!"

"Harry James Potter what are you going on about…JAMES! COME QUICK!" Lily Potter screamed franticly, and Salazar found himself staring at the wrong end of a wand. "Who are you?" She demanded.

"Hello Lily." Salazar smiled. "I'm glad to see you are healthy and doing well."

"Who are you?" James asked, coming up behind his wife, also pointing his wand at Salazar.

"I'm the one who sent you here. It's me Salazar."

Both Potters dropped their wands and stared at him in awe. "Salazar?" They asked in unison.

"Yes. I came here hoping to shed some light on what in the hell went wrong."

"You look like…you look like…" Lily sputtered.

"Harry Potter?" He asked. "Yes, I've realized that."

"This is wicked! I have a twin!"

Salazar laughed. "It's good to see you are all doing exceptional."

"You don't look like you are doing well at all Salazar. What happened to you?" James asked, eyeing his clothes and his size.

"That is also what I'd like to know James. I apparently somehow lost my memories that night, and this afternoon when I received 'Harry Potter's' Hogwarts letter, they suddenly came pouring back. I've been living with the Dursleys for the last ten years."

"Petunia and Vernon?" Lily asked.

"One and the same."

"You poor dear. Come and eat something. For crying out loud you're all skin and bones. What did they do, starve you?"

"Among other things." He said quietly.

Lily wheeled around with wide eyes. "You can't be serious!"

"I am afraid I am." He answered. "Truth be told, I'm more tired than hungry right now. My magic is weak from lack of use, malnutrition, and an unhealthy life. I just need to rest."

"Well come in the sitting room and let's talk." James said. "Harry you need to finish your dinner and then get your bath. We will say goodnight soon."

Harry didn't move, but he gazed at Salazar. "Are you Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived? You have the scar and everything."

Salazar looked at him in confusion. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

"You defeated Voldemort. Some people call him You-Know-Who though."

Salazar looked from Harry to his parents. "I don't know…"

"We need to talk you Salazar. Harry do as your father said. You can talk to him in the morning."

"Ok Mum." Harry said, and watched as they walked out the room.

When they entered the sitting room, James cast a privacy spell, and poured them all a drink.

"It's best if you only drink one."

"Not to mention slowly." Salazar agreed taking a small sip. "Goodness that is what I needed. Ok, you all start, and I'll try and piece together what happened."

Lily and James got Salazar caught up on the 'Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived' story, and even brought out some old newspaper articles to help Salazar get a better understanding of what they knew. They told him that they figured something might have gone wrong that night, but decided to remain in Rio like he told them too. In turn, Salazar told them all about his life at the Dursleys, and what happened the night that Voldemort was defeated, and also what had transpired earlier that night. Needless to say, Lily was furious.

"I have a half a mind to walk up to Petunia and hex her into oblivion! You can't imagine how I feel right now!" She shouted. "Never, NEVER would I do that to Dudley. I don't care how much I dislike my sister and her husband. NEVER would I harm a child in such a fashion. This is outrageous! A broom cupboard James! A broom cupboard!" She shouted.

James did his best to calm her down, but it didn't do any good.

"At least it was me and not really Harry." Salazar said. "I am, despite my appearance, an adult and I can cope with the emotional and physical trauma."

"That still does not excuse what they have done." She said shaking her head. "And to never tell you that you are a wizard is just despicable. They hate magic Salazar. Unfortunately, they are the embodiment of the muggles you knew in your past, and truth be told, I wouldn't blame you if you killed them, because I certainly want too."

"I wouldn't do that Lily. As odious as they are, I wouldn't. They have a young son, and I won't be the cause of the child losing his parents. On the other hand, if there was no Dudley…" He said letting his voice trail off.

James snorted. "Well from what you tell me he is just like his father. Spoiled little prat."

"Indeed." Salazar said, raising his glass. "I need to see my pensieve though. Is it still in my study?"

James nodded. "Yes, it is. We kind of sorted through the library and placed all the dark arts books in there. We sealed the room so Harry wouldn't stumble upon them."

"That's fine. I should have thought of that myself before I sent you here." Salazar getting up and walking across the room.

They left the sitting room, and walked down the spacious and brightly lit hallway. James unsealed the door to the study, and when they entered, Salazar headed right towards the desk.

"Ok, let's see if I can make some sense of the matter." He said, dropping the silver memory strand into the pensieve.

"Do you want some company in there?" James asked. "Another set of eyes perhaps?"

Salazar hesitated. "It might be disturbing for you. It's not a pleasant memory by any stretch."

"It's ok. I've always wondered what happened that night."

"I'll stay here and keep an ear out for Harry." Lily said.

Salazar nodded. "If you are sure James."

"I am." He answered.

They entered the memory, and claimed a spot just behind 'Lily', and leaned against the wall. They heard the shouting and commotion coming from downstairs, but James paled and started shaking when Voldemort entered the nursery.

"Why is he telling her to step aside?" He asked suddenly.

"I was hoping you could tell me." Salazar answered.

The memory kept going, and when the curse rebounded, Salazar pointed and shouted, "There! Look at that!"

They watched as a small piece of black mist detached itself from Voldemort just before he exploded into a bigger black mist. Salazar and James watched the smaller piece as it sailed around the room and latched itself onto Salazar/Harry's forehead. The baby screamed in pain as the scar appeared, and the memory ended as Salazar/Harry blacked out.

When they landed back in the study, James had to sit down, but Salazar started pacing back and forth.

"I'm a horcrux." He said, stopping suddenly and looking up at James and Lily. "That's what happened, but I still don't understand why I didn't revert back to my normal self."

"How can a living being be a horcrux?" James asked, pouring himself another drink.

"It's not entirely unheard of, but it is _very_ rare. The only times I've heard it done is with animals though, and that was only twice. Both times the animal was killed with Fiendfyer, but since I can't die, I don't know if that would work."

"You used Polyjuice, didn't you?" Lily asked.

"Yes."

"Maybe it had something to do with the soul part sealing itself inside your head. You, for all intents and purposes, were Harry at that point. Maybe the dark magic of the horcrux negated the potion's transforming effects. We all know that Dark Magic can't be reversed. It's a long shot, but maybe that's why."

"You might be on to something Lily." Salazar said nodding at her. "It's actually not as crazy as it sounds. A horcrux is the darkest form of magic. Polyjuice is a _physically_ transforming potion. It's not like a headache potion, or calming drought. In theory, the dark magic of the horcrux would void the physical effects of the Polyjuice, and since I used Harry's hair, I remained him and grew up naturally from that point on. I'm beginning to think that the horcrux is the reason I lost my memories temporarily, but I don't understand why I would suddenly regain them from a Hogwarts letter."

"Muggles call it amnesia." Lily said. "When a muggle suffers head trauma they often forget who they are. Muggle doctors tell the person suffering from amnesia to go with family and friends. They say that being in familiar surroundings with familiar people will eventually jog their memories and they will go back to being themselves. We, of course, have a way of treating that with no problem, but since you were taken by people who thought you were Harry, there was no need to check you for that. You were put with muggles who wouldn't know any better as well, but when you saw that letter, and the familiar seal of Hogwarts, you remembered."

James suddenly burst out laughing. "Salazar Slytherin suffered from a muggle ailment for ten years! _That _is hysterical! Sirius would _love_ that bit of…OUCH!"

Salazar smirked when James jumped from being hit with his stinging jinx.

"And it serves you right!" Lily laughed.

James snorted. "Sorry, I just find it really funny."

"Amusing." Salazar said dryly, but smiled and winked at Lily.

"Well I guess all of that answers the most pressing problems about what happened." James said, trying to get himself under control.

"Yes, I do believe it does, but I still do have minor questions."

Salazar, Lily, and James stayed up until the wee hours of the morning. When asked if she knew why Voldemort would ask her to step aside, Lily didn't know. James however, mentioned that Snape had been a Death Eater, and given his and Lily's past, it could have been because of him. It made sense to Lily, and she told Salazar about their history. James, based off Salazar's tale of earlier in the night at Godric's Hollow, suggested that it was Dumbledore who placed him at the Dursleys, though he didn't know why Dumbledore didn't place him with Sirius, seeing as he is Harry's godfather.

They also talked about the prophecy. Salazar told them what he knew about it, and Lily and James told him the rest. Salazar still held the firm belief that it was all a bunch of bullocks. Little else was talked about though, due to Salazar being exhausted, and slightly buzzed, so they finally called it a night just as the sun started to come up.

* * *

Salazar ended up staying in Rio for a week. He practiced his magic and ate good portions of food at every meal so that his magic would get stronger and back to normal. He also shrank all of his clothes that he had left there, so now he had robes that fit.

He spoke to the goblins at Gringotts in Rio Way, and they assured him that all was fine with this finances in both Rio and Britain. This eased his mind a lot, because he was worried about being 'Harry' and not being able to get to his money in Britain. When James asked him about a place to stay when he returned to London, Salazar assured him that he had a small flat in Diagon Alley. He also let them know that he was good at hiding his appearances, seeing as he has done it for centuries.

The real Harry Potter was excited to meet 'Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived' and they talked a lot about Hogwarts and Quidditch. Harry had been accepted to The South American School of Wizardry, and Salazar assured the Potters that it was a top notch school, second only to Hogwarts. Lily teased him and said he was biased, which he freely admitted to being.

Salazar told them that he was, in fact, going back to Hogwarts as 'Harry Potter'. He decided that it would be the best course of action, seeing as the people with answers were there, and he wanted to try and gain as much information as he could. Once he had gained all that he could, he was going to find all of Voldemort's horcruxes and destroy them all, and also work on a way to get rid of the one in his own head, as well as getting his normal appearance back. Salazar told the Potters that he would keep them updated on his progress because after all, he was posing as their son.

Salazar however, didn't know about the frantic search back in Britain for 'Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived'. He was in for a shock at what his disappearing act had caused.


	3. Getting Answers

**Chapter 3**

**Getting Answers**

Salazar landed, yet again, ungracefully in the middle of his sitting room. Thankfully he had the common sense to send a few elves from the villa to make sure that his flat was prepared for his arrival.

He sighed and picked himself up off the floor. It looked just like it had ten years prior. He walked over and gazed out of the charmed windows. They had been charmed to be able to see out into Diagon Alley below, but anyone looking up would only see a blank brick wall. The security was top notch. The only way in or out was via portkey or apparition, and the whole flat was under a Fidelius Charm, and he was its secret keeper. Although, there was a small hidden window for owls to deliver the paper and other correspondence. Yes, Salazar felt very comfortable here.

The flat also showed plainly that he was the founder of Slytherin House. It had emerald green carpet, black furniture, and slivery grey walls to lighten it up a bit. There were a few statues of snakes, and a few decorative skulls to remind him of the Slytherin common room, but overall it wasn't really all that 'dark'. He had a large library, kitchen, bedroom, bath, a potions lab, and it had a comfortable feel to it. Salazar sighed, he was home.

He walked over to the large window that over looked the Alley from his sitting room, but furrowed his brow in confusion as he saw all of the Aurors roaming around.

_That is odd. Perhaps I should go and investigate._

He changed his appearance so that he had blond hair and brown eyes, and he managed to find an old pointy hat of his that he could shrink to fit, but still cover the scar. Then he apparated into an out of the way spot so that he wouldn't bring attention to himself. It would not be good for someone to ask why a seemingly eleven year old boy was apparating.

When he arrived, he headed for _The Daily Prophet_ and bought an addition to hopefully shed some light on what was happening. Needless to say he was shocked by what he found.

**Harry Potter Still Missing!**

_Albus Dumbledore has confirmed that Harry Potter, the boy responsible for ridding us of You-Know-Who, has gone missing from his relative's home. Aurors are on the lookout for the Savior of the wizarding world. If you have any information, you are asked to contact the Auror office immediately. _

Salazar shook his head, and tucked the paper under his arm.

_Well that explains that. _He thought. _I wonder if Dumbledore has found out about how the Dursleys treated me. If he did, I wonder if he thinks they killed me out of hatred when I got the letter. It seems like something they might do. Ok, maybe not, but then again…_

"Excuse me lad, but have you seen this boy?"

Salazar looked up to see an Auror with a baby picture of Harry.

"No sir, I haven't. Is that him? Is that Harry Potter?"

"Yes, I'm afraid it is. Don't know why they don't have a picture of what he looks like now though. It doesn't make much sense to me."

_It does to me._ "Well if I see him, I'll be sure to let someone know."

"Ok, thanks lad."

"You're welcome sir."

Salazar rolled his eyes as the Auror turned away, and pulled his hat lower over the scar.

_I need to talk to someone. I can't get answers by wandering around the alley. I need an owl._

Salazar sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before walking down to Eeylops Owl Emporium.

* * *

A few hours later, he found himself back in his flat with his first year school supplies. He also managed to find a beautiful snowy white owl at Eeylops. He was a little sad about the loss of his old owl, but he knew that it would have found a home, or just decided to live on its own in a forest somewhere. However, he stared at the new owl for awhile and tried to think of a name for her.

"Hedwig." He finally said out loud, and the owl bobbed her head and hooted loudly. "I think Hedwig suits you too." He said, smiling fondly at the beautiful bird and lightly petting her. "Do you feel like making a few deliveries right from the start?"

Hedwig hooted again, and stuck out her leg expectantly.

"Well I haven't written my letters yet, but if you can give me a few minutes, I'll have them ready." He laughed, and she drew her leg back and waited.

He filled out his reply for Hogwarts, and then began to write another.

_My Old Friend,_

_I know it must be a shock hearing from me after these many years, but I have an unbelievable story to tell you. I need your help, and was hoping you could meet me at my flat in Diagon Alley. I hope this letter finds you doing well._

_Your Old Friend,_

_Me_

He sealed the letter with wax, and gave it to Hedwig.

"Please deliver this letter first, and then take the reply letter to Hogwarts."

Hedwig bobbed her head, and took off through the concealed window. Salazar knew that there was nothing else he could do until his friend either came or sent back a reply, so he began sorting through his school supplies and organizing his trunk.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Salazar was carefully arranging his ink pots and quills in his trunk when someone apparated into his flat, and nearly landing on him in the process. It startled him, and he jumped up, tripped over his own robes, and landed on his bum.

"I make such an awkward child." He muttered, picking himself up off the floor. Then he looked up at his friend. "Well that was fast. Either my new owl has powers unknown to me, or you were close by."

"Salazar?" The man asked in disbelief.

"Hello Nicholas."

Nicholas Flamel stared down at his friend in shock. "Need I ask?"

"No." Salazar said with a chuckle. "I will explain."

Salazar went on to tell Nicholas about everything that happened, and the man listened in silence. By the time Salazar finished, Nicholas was pacing around the sitting room.

"So the Potters, all the Potters, are alive?"

"Yes. I have been with them for the last five days trying to piece together what has happened. I won't tell you exactly where they are though. That is for their security, and yours."

Nicholas nodded in understanding. "Albus is worried sick about 'Harry Potter, The Boy-Who-Lived', and is doing everything he can to try and find you. You should tell him you're alive."

"He will find out when I get to Hogwarts. He left me in that muggle hellhole for ten years, so he can suffer another week." He growled. "I've already figured out it was him that placed me there."

"You and your need for revenge." Nicholas said with a chuckle.

Salazar sighed. "I need you to promise me that you won't tell him, or anyone, who I really am. I need to do this on my own, and no doubt the meddlesome old fool will try to interfere with my plans."

"You don't trust Albus, do you?"

Salazar shook his head. "I know he is your friend Nicholas, but no, I don't trust him. Nor would he trust me with any information. You know how he is with this 'light' and 'dark' nonsense. One mention that 'Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived' is really Salazar Slytherin will have him clam up and keep his secrets to himself. He will no doubt think I'm working for Voldemort."

"I can't say that I disagree with you my friend. Albus is very secretive when he wants to be. He will watch you closely though, there is no doubt about that. He is now even more convinced that this prophecy is real, and he will do everything he can to watch over you."

"And no doubt try to control me."

Nicholas nodded in agreement. "He has had a squib watching you these last ten years. Are you familiar with Arabella Figg?"

"Mrs. Figg! Yes, she was my babysitter!" Salazar exclaimed. "Are you telling me that he has known of my home life all these years and never _once_ came and got me? Nicholas, if I don't kill Albus on sight I will surely hex him, and you wonder why I don't trust him." He said through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry my friend." Nicholas said, shaking his head.

Deciding that this line of talk would likely see him blowing up his coffee table, Salazar abruptly changed the subject. "Does he know about the horcruxes?"

"If he does, he has not mentioned them to me. He is however, very curious on why Voldemort didn't die that night, and I must admit that I was too. We did throw around ideas for a while, but neither of us thought about horcruxes."

"I would have clued you in on the plan had there been time, but there was none. I had less than a day to come up with the plan in the first place and find ready-made Polyjuice in Knockturn Alley, but I need your help with Albus. I need you to be a go between for us, if you are willing."

"I can try, but I can tell you he is very concerned about 'Harry Potter' and has taken a direct interest in your life. However," Nicholas said in a hopeful tone, "he is protecting my stone. Perhaps I can use that to my advantage. I was here in London when your owl found me. I had just come from Hogwarts."

"Your stone? Whatever in the world for?" Salazar asked.

"Voldemort is on the move and is actively looking into ways to regain corporeal form. My stone, and what it does, is very well known and Albus convinced me that the stone was in danger. I have agreed to have him protect it for me."

"Albus convinced you." Salazar said, in a condescending tone. "_Albus_ convinced you."

"Well what was I supposed to do? You were gone, and the very thought of Voldemort getting a hold of the stone was terrifying to me." Nicholas said with a hint of anger in his voice.

"Where will it be kept?" Salazar asked with a sigh, and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Hogwarts."

"HOGWARTS!?" Salazar shouted, jumping up from his seat. "Well let us just hang a sign on the front door inviting Voldemort to come and grab it. Yes, let's keep something like that hidden in a school full of _children_." He ranted. Salazar did everything in his power to keep from blasting apart his coffee table, but thankfully the coffee table was spared, yet again, as he reigned in his anger. "I'm sorry my friend. I realize you don't have a lot of options. Please forgive me. What does he plan to do with it?"

Nicholas watched in amusement as his friend tried to hold back the childish temper tantrum. "I don't know what his plans are at the moment, but I will find out."

"Act first, plan later. Typical Gryffindor." Salazar said dryly. "Thankfully I will be there, so you know Voldemort will not be getting it one way or the other."

"I have no doubts." Nicholas said with a chuckle.

"However it may prove useful." Salazar said begrudgingly. "When, not if mind you, when Voldemort shows up, perhaps I can somehow figure out where the rest of his horcruxes are. I don't know how yet, but this may prove somewhat useful."

"Well I have no doubts that _both_ of you will see that it is safe."

"Indeed. I can use this to my advantage, but I assure you, Voldemort will not lay a hand on that stone. I will keep you updated as best I can." Salazar said. "It's your stone and you have the right to know what is happening with it. If I can get my hands on it, I will bring it here myself. You, Perenelle, and I are the only ones who know of this place and it will be safe here."

They sat and talked about various topics for a while. Nicholas told Salazar about the political climate, and got him up to speed with the goings on of the Ministry. Not a lot had changed since the war ended. Pure blood bigots were still in control, Fudge was a bit of an idiot, and several laws had been passed over the years. He did however, tell Salazar about the Death Eaters that went free. Salazar was very angry to hear about Lucius Malfoy, Crabbe Sr., Goyle Sr., and Severus Snape. He was even angrier about finding out that Snape was teaching at Hogwarts, and began wondering what Dumbledore was playing at. In his opinion, Snape should be in Azkaban. No Death Eater should be teaching children.

Nicholas stayed well past dinner that night, but when he left, it was with a promise to gain as much information from Albus as possible. He also assured Salazar that he would mention the horcruxes to Dumbledore, and said he would let him know what Albus said. Salazar fell asleep that night with his cunning mind working overtime to come up with a plan.

* * *

A week later, Salazar found himself standing on platform 9-3/4 looking none too pleased at seeing a certain blond pure blood seeing his son onto the train. He had disguised himself again, and had decided that he would keep an ear out to see what the students were saying. Salazar already knew that some of these children were going to irritate him to no end, but had decided to try and keep his annoyance with them to a minimum. He was after all, a one thousand year old man.

Trying his best to blend in and not draw attention to himself, Salazar had already placed a feather light charm on his trunk, but pretended to struggle to get it on the train like everyone else. He managed to find an empty compartment, and settled down so he could observe his surroundings.

He admitted to himself that he had always been curious about the train, seeing as it was not part of the transportation to Hogwarts in his day. It was by no means the first time he had ridden on one, he did venture into the muggle world quite often, but still, the fact of this train carrying all the students to Hogwarts was quite the concept. He had thought about by passing it all together though, and favored just apparating to Hogsmeade, but he figured he would do this right.

As the train began to leave, four boys came in, ignoring the fact that Salazar was there. He nearly snorted when he realized who they were, but chose to ignore them in return. He pulled a book out of his pocket, and pretended to read, all the while keeping his ears on the conversation going on around him.

"My father thinks that Potter ran away on purpose to get attention."

One of the bigger boys snickered and nodded his head.

_Hmm, just as brainless as their fathers. No doubt that's Malfoy Jr. The other two look like their fathers as well. The other boy though, I'm not so sure._

"Who are you?" Not-so-sure asked.

Salazar pretended to look up a bit startled. "Oh, uh, I'm Evan Evans. Not very creative on my parent's part, but that's me."

"I'm Theo Nott, this is Vincent Crabbe, Greg Goyle, and Draco Malfoy."

_All children of Death Eaters._ Salazar thought, suppressing a scowl. "Nice to meet you all." He answered with a polite nod.

"Evans. Never heard of your family. You're not pure blood, so are you half-blooded or worse?" Malfoy asked.

Salazar faked curiosity. "Worse?" He asked.

"Yeah you know, muggle born." He spat.

Salazar lifted an eyebrow. "I take it from your tone that you don't like muggle borns."

"Not really."

"Well I guess you could call me half muggle born. My parents were magical, but I was raised by muggles all my life." He answered, and tried not to laugh out loud at the looks of confusion and disgust on their faces.

Malfoy looked at him if he had a disease and moved further away, Goyle who was sitting right beside Salazar, moved closer to the door, and Crabbe and Nott scowled at him. Salazar just ignored them all, and went back to his book.

Several hours passed and his compartment companions ignored him, while he pretended to read his book. They left at one point to try and find 'Harry Potter', but Salazar laughed when that happened. For the most part, the children weren't talking about anything important, so he tuned them out. It wasn't until a girl with brown bushy hair opened the door that he looked up again.

"Has anyone seen a lost toad?" She asked.

The others shook their heads no, but Salazar put his book down. "Have you tried summoning it?"

She looked at him in surprise. "Well no, no I haven't. Is that a first year spell? I don't recall it being in any of my books."

_BLAST! My need to teach always outweighs everything. _"No it's not a first year spell, but it should be because it is very simple. The incantation is _Accio_ and the wand movement is like thus." He said, and demonstrated the wand movement. "You have to concentrate on and specify what you want to summon. For example, Accio Goyle's chocolate frog!" He cried, and the frog in Goyle's hand soared towards him.

Her eyes lit up, and she cleared her throat. "Accio toad!" She cried, and they waited, and waited, and waited. She turned to him in confusion. "I don't think it worked."

"Well it was your first try, and I don't think you concentrated hard enough. Here let me…Accio lost toad!" He cried, and a few seconds later it came zooming into the compartment, and into Salazar's arms. "Did you catch the difference? You have to make sure you specify." He said with a smile, holding the toad up.

Her eyes lit up for the second time that day. "Yes, I did! Thank you so much!" She exclaimed, taking the toad from him. "I'm Hermione Granger. Both of my parents are non-magical. What's your name?"

Salazar knew they would be arriving in Hogsmeade at any time, so he decided to drop all pretense and introduce himself properly. "I'm Harry Potter." He answered, and dropped his disguise.

Everyone in the compartment sat there in stunned silence, and their eyes traveled to his forehead. He took off his hat and pushed back his hair.

"See scar and all." He said with a laugh. "I'm a half blood raised by muggles, seeing as my parents died."

"I'm sorry." She mumbled.

"It's ok. They died trying to save me, and whatever it was they did, it worked." He said with a shrug.

"I suppose you might be in Gryffindor then." She said.

"Nope, actually I think I'll be in Slytherin."

At this point Malfoy snorted. "I really don't think that will happen."

"And why not?" Salazar asked, leaning back against the seat and steepling his fingers.

"You a Slytherin? I just don't see it. You're going to be the Gryffindor Golden Boy. Your parents were Gryffindors."

"So? Slytherin prides cunning, resourcefulness, ambition, determination, along with a whole mess of other things. Besides, where else would someone who could talk to snakes go?"

"Y-you are a-a parselmouth?" Malfoy asked, staring at him in disbelief.

"Yes, now I remember. That is what it's called. I read in _Hogwarts: A History_ that Slytherin could talk to snakes." He said with a grin.

"Prove it." Nott demanded.

Salazar turned to Hermione. "Don't be afraid. I won't let it hurt you. I promise. I read about a charm that could summon snakes, and I have gotten fairly good at it, though I set them free in a forest."

"W-what?" She stammered.

"Serpensortia!" He cried suddenly, and a small black snake appeared on the floor of their compartment.

_"Who dares to summon me!?" _It cried as it looked around, ready to strike at the shrieking children.

_"Forgive me my friend. I wanted to prove point. Please don't attack the loud ones. They are just afraid."_

_"A Speaker! How wonderful! Very well then. I won't hurt them, if they don't hurt me."_

_"Come my little friend. I will set you lose in a big forest when we get to our destination."_

_"That sounds very nice. I like you Speaker." _It said, and slithered up his arm, and disappeared under his sleeve.

He turned back to Malfoy and company. "See. Where else would a Parselmouth end up besides Slytherin?"

The children stared at him in shock and fear, but didn't say anything. Salazar knew exactly what he was doing, and letting his gift be known was all part of his plan.

"Come Miss Granger. Let us find the owner of that toad. No doubt they are worried."

"Y-yes. O-ok."

"There is no need to be afraid." He chuckled, as she made it a point to steer clear of his right arm where the snake was. "It won't hurt you. I promised to let it go once we get to school."

They found the owner of the toad, a shy boy named Neville Longbottom, and Hermione rejoined Neville in his compartment. By the time Salazar made his way back to his own compartment they had arrived in Hogsmeade.

_"My friend, I'm afraid that I will not be able to set you free tonight. I am a bit worried about your safety. It is dark and there are a lot of owls that reside here. I don't want to see you end up as one's dinner. Would you agree to being set free in the morning?"_

_"Yes Speaker. I think that will be fine, but I am hungry. Can you feed me?"_

_"It won't be fresh, but there will be chicken at the dinner I'm going to be attending. Will that suffice?"_

_"I suppose that will be fine." _It said with a hint of disappointment.

The children that were gathered around him stared at him with wide eyes as he talked to the little snake peeping out of his robe sleeve. They began whispering and backing away from him, but Salazar paid them no mind. They followed a large man to the boats, and made their way across the lake towards the castle. However, something happened just as they crossed the protective enchantments that surrounded the school.

_You feel me don't you? _He thought with a chuckle. _Hello Hogwarts. I am pleased that after all these centuries you remember my magic._

Indeed Hogwarts had, and the magic surrounding the castle was nearly singing with welcome. Even those inside the castle could feel the magic as it hummed, and the closer Salazar got to the castle, the more it hummed.

_Settle down my dear. I'm afraid if you hum too much that you may hum yourself into a heap of rubble._ He thought with a smile.

The magical hum abated, but it didn't disappear altogether. It continued until Salazar and the other first years reached the front doors. When they arrived they found a stern looking witch, who looked slightly shaken as she glanced over the crowd.

Salazar noticed that she was the same woman from the night in Godric's Hollow, and when her eyes landed on him, it looked like she let out a breath she had been holding. She quickly composed herself, and began telling them the expectations of Hogwarts. After that, Salazar Slytherin entered Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the first time in nearly ten centuries.

* * *

***A/N* I just want to let everyone know that Salazar will not be a trumped up super hero. Yes, Hogwarts knows he is there, but no Salazar wont be able to fully control her. That power lies with Dumbledore. However, Salazar is a Founder and he helped build the castle, so he will know things about it that others may not, and he will have a few privileges that others don't. Some things will follow canon, some things will not. As for Hogwarts herself, she does not talk so she wont be able to tell Salazar anything. If she could, she'd tell Salazar that Voldemort was in the back of Quirrell's head, and this story would be over before it began! LOL! Please keep in mind that while we as fans know everything about the series, the characters in the story do not. Mistakes will be made, so i ask you all in kindness to not flame me for seemingly getting something wrong. Thank you to all who have F, F, & R'd! The reviews help so much and give me inspiration, so feel free to make suggestions. I may not use your suggestions, but it may help me to formulate my next chapter! Thank you so much for reading!  
**


	4. The First Week

**Chapter 4**

**The First Week**

As soon as both of Salazar's feet crossed the threshold, the bell towers that framed the entrance hall began to chime in welcome. The entrance hall vibrated and dust fell from the ceiling. The portraits that resided there, along with the first year students, covered their ears because it was so loud. Through it all, Salazar blinked back tears and struggled to get his emotions under control.

_Thank you my dear. Your welcome means so much more to me than you realize. I am truly honored, and I promise that one day I will step foot through those doors in my true form, but for now, I must remain as I am. Thank you Hogwarts. It feels good to be home._

_"What was that racket?! I felt sure that the whole place was going to come down on us!" _The little black snake demanded, as they made their way into the great hall.

_"I'm sorry my friend."_ Salazar whispered into his sleeve. _"The castle was welcoming us."_

_"Well tell it not to do that again."_

Salazar chuckled lightly, patted the snake's head, and glanced around the room. All the students looked stunned, and he could hear whispering all around him. People, it seemed, were more interested in why Hogwarts did what it did, versus the upcoming sorting. The Professors looked confused, but Dumbledore was talking to the witch who led them in.

The sorting commenced and Salazar waited patiently for his turn. Neville and Hermione became Gryffindors, and Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott became Slytherins just like he expected.

"Harry Potter." Professor McGonagall called out.

The room hushed, and Salazar saw Dumbledore sit up and stare at him. He also noticed Severus Snape sneering at him, but McGonagall smiled before placing the Sorting Hat on his head.

"SWEET MOTHER OF MERLIN!" The hat shouted out loud, and nearly leapt off his head in surprise. "Sa….."

The hat couldn't finish what it was going to say, because Salazar reached up clamped its mouth shut. Thankfully nothing but mumbling was heard.

_Did you honestly have to yell that out loud? _Salazar grumbled.

_Well I'm sorry Salazar, but I was expecting Harry Potter, not you!_

_I'm sorry to disappoint you._

_Oh it's not that, in fact I'm thrilled! No wonder the castle was singing. It all makes sense now. Shall I call out Slytherin and be done with it?_

_Not yet. I know that Dumbledore is going to want to know what all that was about, but you must promise me not to tell him._

_You're secret is safe with me. You obviously have a purpose here, and I will not stand in your way. I must say though, Harry Potter was likely to go to Gryffindor, are sure about Slytherin?_

_I am. No doubt I would murder half of Gryffindor house for getting on my nerves before the first week was over. Besides there are people in my house that I wish to keep an eye on. _

Salazar could hear the hat chuckling in his ear.

_I understand. Well let me call out the house._

_Very well._

"SLYTHERIN!" The hat shouted, and Salazar placed it back on the stool.

Salazar chuckled, folded his hands behind his back, and nearly skipped over to the Slytherin house table. He had a large grin on his face as he took a seat at the very end of the table. The entire great hall was deadly silent, and Dumbledore looked to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Salazar knew that whatever plan he had for 'Harry Potter' had just been shattered.

After the sorting finished, Dumbledore stood up to announce the feast, and the table sprang to life with all the food they could eat.

_"What is that I smell? Is that the chicken you promised me?"_

_"It is." _Salazar answered, as the little black snake emerged from his sleeve and slithered onto the table. Several people sitting around him gasped in surprise. _"Would you like some?"_

_"I think so. I'm starving."_ It answered. _"All that standing around made me impatient. I need to eat!"_

Salazar chuckled, and pulled a few pieces of chicken apart for his friend, and placed them on the table._ "There you go my friend."_

_"Thank you Speaker."_ It said, and began to circle and strike at its 'prey', before swallowing a small piece. _"Take that! Take that I say!"_

This time Salazar laughed at its antics, but then began to place food onto his own plate. During the meal he looked around the great hall. Nothing about it had changed since he last saw it, but he thought that was a good thing. He happened to look up towards the head table and saw that Professor Snape was staring at him in shock, but there was another Professor with a turban on his head who was sitting beside Snape. That man was watching him and the snake with curiosity, and a bit of amusement. Salazar didn't know what to make of it.

The feast ended, and all the food disappeared. The little black snake didn't like that and demanded that it come back immediately, but Salazar told it that the food would be back in the morning. Dumbledore stood up to make announcements during this time, but Salazar was only half listening. There was one thing Dumbledore said that caught his attention though.

"The third floor corridor is off limits to everyone who doesn't wish to die a painful death." Dumbledore said, and then he finally dismissed them.

_Like I said. Put a sign on the front door. Reckless Gryffindor. Well at least I know where to begin my search for the stone. _He thought as he sighed and shook his head.

They headed down into the dungeons, and despite the excitement around him, Salazar was tired. Being a one thousand year old man in an eleven year old body was not easy. When they reached the common room, he smiled and looked around. Nothing had changed, and this pleased Salazar even more.

_"Where are we? What is this place?" _The snake asked, as it poked its head out of his sleeve.

_"I am home my friend." _He said simply, as he followed the prefect to the first year dorm.

_"I like it here."_

Salazar smiled but said nothing as he claimed a bed along the back wall. There were five other boys in this dorm besides himself. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, and Zabini all claimed beds either by the door, or the bathroom, but Salazar was content with what he chose. The others kept an eye on him and the snake, but for the most part they ignored him.

He changed into his pajamas and carefully coxed the little black snake off his arm and next to his pillow.

_"Speaker?"_

_"Yes?"_

_"I like it here, and I think I want to keep you as my pet. You keep me safe, fed, and warm. I think I want to stay here."_

Salazar smiled into the darkness. _"I would like that. I think I'm going to need a friend. Shall I pick a name for you?"_

_"Yes. I would like that."_

Salazar thought for a moment before he decided. _"Nora. I like Nora. You are a female I believe."_

_"That I am Speaker. I like Nora, and your name is Speaker. I like that name for you."_

Salazar grinned at the snake burrowing next to his pillow. _"Goodnight then Nora."_

_"Goodnight Speaker."_

* * *

The next morning at breakfast, Nora yelled in a way only snakes could about the amount of owls that came swooping into the great hall. She tried to attack Hedwig when she landed to visit, but Hedwig just stared at Nora and clicked her beak in annoyance at the little nuisance. Hedwig turned her back on the little snake to show her displeasure, and Nora used the end of her tail to flick Hedwig's tail feathers. Hedwig turned around sharply and used her wing to knock Nora off the table and onto the floor. As you can imagine, Nora didn't take kindly to that.

_"Listen here you haughty overgrown feather duster, I will not be treated like that!" _She yelled, as she climbed up Salazar's leg to get back onto the table.

"All right that is enough out of the both of you." Salazar sternly. "Let's try to get along shall we?"

_"I don't like her."_ Nora said, and Hedwig bobbed her head and hooted in what seemed to be mutual agreement.

"It will be all right. You just need to get used to each other."

Hedwig ruffled her feathers, and Nora glared at the bird, but neither made a move toward the other.

Salazar smiled. "There, see. It is possible. I don't have any letters for you today Hedwig, but you can have some of my bacon and juice if you want." He said, and held up a piece of bacon.

Hedwig took it, hooted in thanks, and drank some pumpkin juice before flying off.

_"Pigeon."_ Nora mumbled.

Salazar rolled his eyes. _"She is my friend, just as you are. She won't hurt you or try to eat you. I promise. I think you both were just startled by each other."_

_"Well I don't like her. You can't be her pet because you are mine."_

_"I'm not her pet, she is my pet."_

_"Oh! Well that does make a difference. I suppose I can tolerate her then. She is just a common pet. HA! Take that Pigeon!"_

Salazar shook his head and chuckled. Nora wasn't hungry this morning because she had eaten a great deal the night before, but she stayed coiled up on the table watching what was going on around her.

Salazar was nearly finished with his breakfast when a smiling Hermione Granger made her way towards him.

"Hi Harry."

"Hermione, how are you this morning?" He said with a smile.

"I'm doing really well. I just wanted to tell you that I practiced that charm you taught me and I did it! I made some discarded parchment fly to me!" She said excitedly.

"Well that is really good. I am happy you were successful."

She smiled at him, but then looked at Nora as the snake gazed back at her. "I see you haven't set her free yet."

"She decided that I'm her pet, and she didn't want to leave."

Hermione laughed. "Is she dangerous?"

_"I can be you silly girl."_

"It depends." Salazar answered with a slight smile.

"What kind of snake is she?"

"She is a Black Adder. She's venomous, but not deadly. She will grow to be about two feet long."

_"I am deadly! I am the deadliest snake alive!" _Nora argued.

_"Ok then, deadliest snake alive. Will you let Hermione pet you?"_

_"I suppose."_

Salazar chuckled. "She will allow you to pet her if you want too. She won't bite."

Hermione looked at him in surprise, but then smiled softly. She reached out slowly and placed a shaky finger on the top of Nora's head. "I thought snakes were slimy, but she's not slimy at all, and she seems nice." She said, as she began to pet her more.

"It's a common misconception. Snakes have different personalities just like humans. Nora is…feisty, but she is a good snake."

_"I like her." _Nora said, and rolled over on her back to let Hermione pet her belly. _"She gives good pettings. Learn from her Speaker."_

Salazar laughed. "Apparently she likes your pettings and said that I need to learn from you."

"Uh…umm…Hermione. Umm…Professor McGonagall is passing out schedules. You need to uh…get yours." A voice behind them said.

They both turned around to see a very nervous looking Neville. "OH!" She exclaimed. "Thank you Neville. I'm coming." She said, then turned back to Harry. "Thanks Harry, and Nora. I'll see you later." She said with a smile, and she patted Nora on the head.

"H-hi Har-Harry." Neville said shyly.

"Hello Neville. Did you have a good night sleep?"

Neville looked surprised. "Uh…yeah I did. You?"

"It was the best sleep I've had in a while. I think all the excitement wore me out." Salazar said with a laugh.

Neville smiled. "Yeah I think the same happened for me. Well we better get going."

"Ok I'll see you two later." Salazar said, and they waved as they walked away.

"Why would you talk to that Mudblood and that Blood-Traitor?" A voice asked.

Salazar gritted his teeth and turned to glare at the blond, who shrank away because of the scowl on his face. "Because so far they have been the only two to not run away from me, or gawk at me from a distance. So far they are the only two that have been cordial. My mother was a muggle born and my father was a pure blood who sided against the man who murdered them. I will associate with whoever I want, whenever I want. I don't need your approval Malfoy."

"You won't survive in Slytherin with an attitude like that Potter. Watch yourself." Malfoy warned in a cold voice.

"No Malfoy, you watch yourself. The hat put me in Slytherin for a reason, so I don't need yours or anyone's approval for my actions. I could care less about what people think or say about me. It is not _my_ attitude that needs to be corrected." Salazar spat, then he turned his back on Malfoy.

_"Shall I bite him?"_ Nora asked, glaring at Malfoy, who was scowling at them.

_"No Nora. I can handle the puny little boy."_

_"Puny. That is a good name for him."_

Salazar smiled, but looked up when Snape came over to stand in front of him.

"Potter, detention on Saturday for having an unauthorized pet. Here is your schedule, and the Headmaster would like to speak to you. You will find him in his office." He said sharply, then turned on his heel and left to pass out the other schedules.

_"I'm not a pet you overgrown looking bat!"_ Nora yelled.

He could hear Malfoy snickering behind him, but Salazar just shook his head.

_I noticed that he didn't tell me where the Headmaster's office was. No matter, it's a good thing I already know. The Death Eater is already passing out detentions though. I will bide my time with him._ Salazar thought as he gathered Nora and his belongings.

* * *

As Salazar approached the Gargoyle that guards the Headmaster's office, he was thankful to see that the corridor was empty.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked looking at the gargoyle.

"I do."

"Tell no one."

"As you wish." It replied, and moved to the side to allow him passage.

He rode on the stairway to the door, and knocked lightly.

"Come in." Dumbledore's voice called out.

"You wanted to see me Headmaster?" He asked politely.

"Yes Harry. Please come in."

_Harry is it? Not the common greeting._ "Am I in trouble sir? Is this about Nora my snake? Professor Snape already gave me detention because of her."_ Though snakes are an authorized pet. I made sure of that, and it can't be changed._

"No Harry this is not about Nora. I am however surprised that you can speak to her."

"I am surprised it's not common. I thought all witches and wizards could talk to snakes. I was shocked when people seemed afraid of it." Salazar replied innocently.

"Well it is not a common gift Harry." Dumbledore said.

_"Who is this man Speaker? Shall I bite him? Is he friend or foe?"_ Nora asked, peaking out of Salazar's pocket where he had placed her.

_"No, he is the Headmaster. He is very respected. He is not a foe. Please don't be mean."_ Salazar answered.

He knew very well that Dumbledore could understand parseltongue, but the man could not speak it himself. He looked up at Dumbledore who was smiling at him.

"I'm sorry sir. She's a bit feisty, and she is young. She asked if you were friend or foe and asked if she should bite you. I told her who you are and that she shouldn't because you are very respected."

Dumbledore chuckled. "It's alright Harry. I called you in here because you gave us quite a fright this summer. It seems you disappeared on us after you got your letter. Can you tell me where you were?"

Salazar knew this was coming sooner or later, but he had already thought up a story. "Well sir, I was surprised at my letter. I didn't even know I was a wizard before I got it. When I did, I was just so excited that I thought I didn't have to stay with my Aunt and Uncle anymore. They kept me in a broom cupboard all my life, and they starved me. I was beat up by my cousin all the time, and they did nothing to stop it. They verbally abused me, and beat me on occasion, but not enough to cause suspicion. I was sent to my cupboard for days at a time, and wasn't allowed to come out if I did abnormal things, but now I know that those abnormal things were magic." He said quietly, as he looked at the floor. "I ran away, and luckily found a nice wizard who helped me. He seemed to recognize me right away. He told me about Diagon Alley and helped me to get there. He showed me the bank and I went in and told them who I was. I was ever so surprised to learn that I have money." He said, nearly bouncing in his seat. "For the first time I was able to buy new things. I bought new glasses, clothes, and I found a book shop!" He said excitedly. "A shop full of magic books! I bought all that I could carry. I've never had anything new before, and I was so happy."

"Did you not see that people were looking for you?" Dumbledore asked.

Salazar became quite again. "Yes sir, but I had bought a book about disguises and I somehow managed to disguise myself. I was afraid that I would be sent back to my relatives. I don't want to go back there." He said with a shiver. "Not to that awful place. I thought they might kill Hedwig and put me back in my cupboard and not let me have food for days. That's what they used to do."

_"I will eat them when I'm bigger Speaker. Show me these people, and I will bite them. I'm the deadliest snake in the entire world you know."_

Salazar chuckled and patted her head. _"No Nora. It's ok. What's done is done."_ He said, then looked up at Dumbledore. "She wants to eat them, but I told her no. The past is the past. I was unloved, unwanted, and treated badly, but I think I can get past it. The wizarding world is amazing to me."

Dumbledore studied him a moment. "Who was the man that helped you?"

_Nothing about the way I was treated? _"He said his name was Peter Pettigrew, but he left me at the bank. He told me all about The Dark Lord, and said he was the one who killed my Mum and Dad. When I asked who the Dark Lord was, Mr. Pettigrew said he was a really dark wizard named Voldemort, but he looked really scared to say his name. After that, he said he must find his Master and tell him that I am alive. I didn't see him again though." Salazar said innocently, and tried not to laugh at the expression of horror on Dumbledore's face."Oh, oh, I do remember that he turned into a rat when he ran away, but I don't think he knows that I saw him do it." Salazar added. "Can people really turn into rats? Can I?"

"Yes Harry, but not for a very long time. Tell me, where did you live while you were away from your Aunt and Uncle?"

"I used my disguise and stayed at the Leaky Cauldron. I didn't cause any trouble though. I-I promise!"

Dumbledore smiled at the squirming boy. "I'm sure you didn't Harry, but can you answer me one more thing? What happened with the sorting hat?"

"I already told you that Albus." A voice above their heads said. "Do you not trust me? I told you that I was surprised that he was the famous Harry Potter."

"Yes thank you Hat, but I want to hear it in Harry's own words." Dumbledore said with a frown.

"I was just surprised that the hat yelled at me. I told him that I was sorry that I squished his mouth." Salazar said quietly.

"That is all right Harry. Ok, I do believe that you have Transfiguration. You will be late if you don't hurry to class."

"I-I don't know the way." He said, purposely growing red in the face.

Dumbledore smiled at him. "So you don't. Very well I will escort you."

They left the office and Salazar followed Dumbledore through the castle. When they got to the classroom, Salazar realized that they could have been there in half the time by using at least three different shortcuts, but he didn't say this out loud of course.

"Pardon me Professor McGonagall, I have Mr. Potter. I apologize for keeping him so long." He said with a twinkle in his eye.

"I understand Professor Dumbledore. Mr. Potter, please find a seat."

"Yes ma'am. Thank you Professor Dumbledore."

"You're welcome Harry." He said with a grandfatherly smile, and then he turned to leave.

* * *

Class was pretty boring for Salazar. After all, he could turn a match into a needle wandlessly and in his sleep, but he purposely said the incantation wrong just so he wouldn't get it on the first few tries. They were sharing the class with the Ravenclaws though, so after one of them managed to get a match to turn pointy, he decided to just compete the spell. McGonagall was impressed and praised him for it. She showed it off to the whole class, much to Salazar's amazement. He felt sure the Head of Gryffindor would just nod and walk way.

Nora sat on the edge of his desk the whole time, but she managed to remain quiet. She seemed to think that the stern witch would turn her into a needle if she spoke even a word. Professor McGonagall seemed a bit unnerved by Nora, but she didn't say anything bad about her.

Herbology was next, and Salazar enjoyed Professor Sprout's teaching. Nora seemed pleased with the class too, though not necessarily the teacher. Nora liked hiding in the dirt and among the plants, but Professor Sprout had asked Nora _not_ to jump out of the plants and scare the other students. This class was shared with the Hufflepuffs, who all seemed afraid of them, but thankfully Nora was not targeting them. She was targeting the Slytherins, but Professor Sprout seemed to find her antics, and choice of victims rather funny.

After lunch came History of Magic. Salazar chuckled when Uric the Oddball was mentioned because he remembered the eccentric wizard when he was at Hogwarts. The lad had been sorted into Ravenclaw, and Salazar remembered Rowena saying how odd the young wizard was because the lad wore a jellyfish on his head. He was not impressed with Binns though. The ghost put the class to sleep and didn't even notice it. Nora even took the opportunity to catch a nap.

Defense against the Dark Arts was different though. He was not impressed with Quirrell at all. The man's stuttering problem was a hindrance to his teaching, and Salazar had half a mind to stun the man and teach the class himself. Nora, who sat on the edge of his desk, didn't like the Professor either and said she would bite him if he didn't start speaking correctly.

There was something odd that happened in the class though. Every time Salazar would lock eyes with the Professor the horcrux in his head hurt. It wasn't something Salazar expected, and it seemed very odd to him. He decided to think on it before jumping to conclusions, because there could be many reasons on why that happened. Needless to say though, it unnerved him.

* * *

The rest of the week went by much the same, but Salazar took the time to refamiliarize himself with the castle and its secrets. Some aspects of Hogwarts had changed over the years, but for the most part things were the same. Most of the secret tunnels were intact, but there were a few changes. The tunnel that led from Hogsmeade to the castle no longer started in an empty shack, but instead in Honeydukes cellar. This tunnel had once been an escape tunnel, so that the residents of Hogsmeade could find shelter from the muggles in the more fortified castle. This was before the invention of muggle repelling charms though. Most of the other tunnels were there, but one was caved in.

Salazar's personal tunnel that he had built for himself was still intact. That one led from the dungeons to the front gates, and was the easiest way to sneak off the grounds if he needed too. He decided to leave the Chamber of Secrets alone for now though, because Dumbledore seemed to be watching him very closely. The entrance was now in a girl's bathroom and hidden by a sink instead of the simple trap door it had once been.

Salazar had also spoken to a few of the ghosts, mainly Helena, Baron, and the Fat Friar. These were the ones that he knew when he was first there, though they were only students at the time. Helena was delighted to see him again, because she had always called him Uncle. Baron, who Salazar taught and was like a second son at the time, was also pleased to have him back. The Fat Friar had always been afraid of him in life, but wasn't so much in death. He too welcomed Salazar home, and they all agreed to keep his secret, especially from Dumbledore.

Peeves was a different matter. He too seemed to know that 'Harry Potter' was really Salazar, and he took to calling him Lord Slytheryness, much to Salazar's displeasure. Thankfully though, the poltergeist agreed to keep the secret as well, because he was afraid of Salazar more than he was the Bloody Baron.

Overall, Salazar was pleased with his classes and the Professors that taught them, the exceptions being Quirrell and Binns. There was one more class and Professor that he was interested in though, and that class was on Friday.

Snape had either ignored or avoided him the whole week, and they hadn't spoken since that first day when Snape handed him the schedule. That however, was fine with Salazar. He was still amazed that Dumbledore had employed a former Death Eater, and he wanted to know why. He was going to find out, one way or another.

* * *

Friday came, and with it the first potions class of the year. Salazar wasn't sure how this would turn out, but he knew it was likely to be interesting either way because it was the only class he shared with the Gryffindors.

As they lined up outside the classroom, a custom Salazar was pleased to see hadn't changed, the Gryffindors eyed him suspiciously. He knew that the whole school now knew he was a Parselmouth, but he honestly didn't care. He knew what was being whispered about him, and he heard a rumor that the Gryffindors were upset that he wasn't in their house. He didn't care about that either. The whispering about him being evil and dark had reached his own ears, but he just had to laugh. He was not evil or dark, well not anymore at least, and he knew that the wizarding world was big on gossip. Again, he didn't care.

There was two bright spots though, and they were in the form of Hermione and Neville. Neither of them could be considered his best friends, but they were friendly with him. Neville seemed to get over his shyness when around him and Hermione cared more about her studies than gossip. Salazar appreciated them both, and always took the time to be patient with the two Gryffindors and helped them when he could.

The door opened to the classroom, and they all filed in. Slytherins went to one side and the Gryffindors went to another, but there was a table in the middle that he sat down at. Nora came out to sit on the table so she could see the new classroom, but to his surprise, Hermione and Neville sat on either side of him.

"Hello Harry." Neville whispered. "Did you have a good week?"

"I did actually, but some of the Professors aren't very good teachers."

Hermione gasped. "How can you say that? They are Professors!"

"You can't possibly think Binns and Quirrell are good teachers?"

Hermione closed her mouth with a snap. "Well yes, ok you have a point." She finally admitted.

"I like Herbology the best so far, but I seem to be rubbish at everything else."

"It will come in time." Salazar said with a smile. "You just have to practice."

At that moment the door burst open and Snape came swooping into the room. He started talking about foolish wand waving and silly incantations, but Salazar began using subtle Legilimency to try and get a read on the former Death Eater's true intentions. However, Snape seemed to have strong occlumency shields, and that was something Salazar hadn't been expecting. He would have to push harder, but now was not the time for that.

Snape's eyes landed on him, then flickered to the two Gryffindors sitting on either side of him.

"Mr. Potter, how is our new _celebrity_ doing today?" He asked with a sneer.

Salazar raised an eyebrow, but Nora coiled up on herself. _"I don't like his tone Speaker. The overgrown bat seems hostile. Shall I bite him?"_

_"No Nora don't strike. Yes he is hostile, but I will deal with him in my own way."_

_"Very well, but I will keep my eye on him."_

Snape watched this exchange with a small barely noticeable flinch, but Salazar caught it. He steepled his fingers, sat up straight, and looked at Snape with a condescending smile.

"To be honest Professor, I don't really like being the center of attention. There are rumors about me going around that are really hurtful and untrue. I've lived with muggles my whole life and I didn't even know I was a wizard until I got my letter. I just want to learn all I can about this new life I never knew existed."

Snape stared at him, and his eyes flickered over his body posture. Then he glanced at Nora, who was still coiled and sitting in front of him. Salazar smirked slightly when Snape turned away quickly and headed away from the table. He knew that Voldemort would often sit like that in Death Eater meetings, and Salazar was determined to rattle Snape's cage as much as possible.

"Today you will be making a cure for boils. The list of ingredients are on the board, along with examples of how to cut them up. The instructions will follow shortly. Began." Snape said, before sitting down at his desk at the front of the class.

"He doesn't seem to like you." Neville whispered a few minutes later.

"It will be ok." Salazar assured him. "Let's just not give him a reason to target us. Pay attention to how you crush the snake fangs though. You still have some big chunks. They need to be crushed to a fine powder like the picture on the board. Your potion might blow up if you don't."

Neville stared at him and paled. "Oh, ok. Thanks Harry."

"You're welcome." Salazar said and smiled as the boy began correcting his mistake. He chuckled silently when Hermione immediately rechecked her own crushed fangs.

The class passed with little incident, and Snape paid him no mind. Except at the end of class.

"Potter!" He snapped. "Stay behind."

Salazar raised another eyebrow, but nodded and turned to Hermione and Neville, who looked nervous for him. "Don't worry about it. I'll see you later."

They smiled and shut the door behind them, leaving Snape and Salazar alone.

Salazar walked up to the desk and stood in front of Snape. "You wanted to see me sir?"

What happened next shocked Salazar completely. Snape stared at him, and before Salazar realized what he was doing, Snape cast a wandless Legilimency.

He didn't get very far.

Salazar threw him out of his mind before Snape could get any information. Then he cast a wandless disarming charm, and had Snape tied up in ropes and bound in his chair before the disarmed Death Eater could blink.

"Accio veritaserum." Salazar said through gritted teeth, as Snape stared at him with wide and frightened eyes.

Behind him, Nora was hissing with rage, but Salazar told her to keep back just in case she got hurt.

Salazar smiled when the veritaserum landed in his hand. "I figured you'd have something like this laying around Severus." He said coldly, and forced the liquid down the man's throat. "That's a good lad. Swallow it. Very good." He said, when Snape's eyes went glassy. "Why did you attack me?"

"I wanted to know your secrets. I think your lying about your life."

"So you thought attacking a student with legilimency was the right thing to do?"

"Yes."

"Legilimency is NOT supposed to be performed on a student. The mark of a good Professor is to figure out if the student is lying or not. It's called using intuition. You NEVER attack a child with something like that." Salazar growled, as Snape stared at him. Salazar sighed, then glared at Snape. "Why do you hate me?"

At this question, Snape began trying to fight the truth serum, but he succumbed anyway. "Because I have too. The Dark Lord would know if I treated you like I cared about you."

Salazar raised an eyebrow. "Do you care about me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"You are Lily's son."

Salazar leaned back in his chair. "What does Lily have to do with anything?"

"I loved her, and when she died I swore to protect you."

"Where does your true loyalty lie?" Salazar asked, looking at the man curiously.

Again Snape tried to fight the serum, but it was no use. "With Dumbledore."

"Why?"

"I was a spy for him. I spied on the Dark Lord. He knew I loved Lily, and when The Dark Lord targeted you, Dumbledore used that knowledge."

"Do you regret being a Death Eater?"

"I do."

"Do you oppose everything Voldemort stands for?"

"Yes."

Salazar stared at the frightened young man, but didn't ask anymore questions. He summoned the antidote for the veritaserum and gave it to him, but kept the Professor tied up. Snape stared at him with wide eyes while Salazar sat lost in thought.

"Who-who are you?" Snape asked cautiously after a few minutes had passed.

Salazar cast several privacy spells and warded the door. As a show of good faith, he released Snape, but did not return the man's wand to him.

"My name is Salazar Slytherin. On Halloween 1981, I used polyjuice potion to disguise myself as Harry Potter. Two Polyjuiced house elves posed as James and Lily Potter that night because the day before had I sent all three Potters someplace safe."

At these words Snape's eyes widened in shock. "Lily-Lily is-is…"

"Alive? Yes. Yes she is."

Salazar went on to tell him everything, and when he was done, Snape just sat there in shocked silence.

"So you see, I have a mission to complete. My friend Nicholas and I may need your help. Nicholas is a brilliant man, but when it comes to the Dark Arts he lacks the necessary skills. I have realized that my size is somewhat a hindrance to me, but you, you can help me."

"Forgive me, but I need proof of your identity. I will not help you otherwise."

"I understand. Do you have a pensieve?"

"Yes, I do." Snape nodded, and stood up to get it.

Salazar pulled his memories of the night he sent the Potters away, and the night of the attack. He also threw in some memories of the Dursleys and the day he got his letter, as well as some memories of the five days he spent in Rio. Both he and Snape entered the pensive and they both watched snippets of the last ten years of his life, but when they were done, Snape turned to him and nodded.

"Forgive me sir." He said bowing his head. "I thank you for the proof."

"If you hadn't asked, I would have thought you a fool."

"What do you wish me to do?"

"First, I want you to understand that I am neither Voldemort, nor Albus. I will not use you like they have, and yes, Dumbledore has used you for his own gain. I will not use your love for another to hold you to an oath that is unnecessary. Seeing as the real Harry Potter is safe with his parents, and since I am the one who you swore to protect, I release you from that oath."

At those words, a bright blue light surrounded them, then disappeared with an audible pop.

"You made a mistake many, many years ago Severus, and I will not hold that against you. I am not my wretched Heir. That boy _will _die by _my _hand one way or another. Your life is your life to spend as you want. You have clearly been pulled in two very different directions for many years. If you permit me, I will look into ways of removing that mark from your left forearm, and you will not have to live with that mistake hanging over your head. The _only _thing I will require of you is an oath to never speak a word of this to anyone unless I say. If you choose to help me, that is your decision, but I will not _force_ you to help me. I want you to understand that you have a _choice_."

"May I have a few days to think about it?"

"Of course. I understand that this is a lot to process. Take as much time as you need, but I will require the oath before you walk out that door." He said, pointing to the classroom door. "I could obliviate you, but I want to avoid another confrontation such as this."

Snape nodded, and Salazar handed his wand to him. "I, Severus Tobias Snape, do hereby swear on my magic that I will not speak of this to anyone unless given permission by Salazar Slytherin. So shall it be."

The magic swirled around them, and Salazar nodded in approval.


	5. Friends and Enemies

**Chapter 5**

**Friends and Enemies **

Snape sat in the staff lounge for the weekly staff meeting on Saturday morning, barely listening to the chatter going on around him. He was thinking about the conversation he had the day before. After Salazar had left the classroom, it had only taken him thirty minutes to come to a decision. He would indeed help the Founder of his House. Snape felt it was a great honor to be asked, and when Salazar showed up for his detention that afternoon, he would let him know of his decision.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when the topic turned to the 'boy' in question.

"How has young Harry been this week?" Dumbledore asked with a smile, and his customary twinkling eyes.

Snape raised an eyebrow and sneered at the Headmaster. He hadn't been able to talk with Salazar, but Snape thought it best to pretend that things hadn't changed.

"He's a natural in Transfiguration Albus. He was able to turn a match into a needle in the first class." Professor McGonagall said with a smile.

"In Herbology he seems fine, he mentioned to me that he tended his Aunt's garden and kept it up. He seems very interested in the difference between magical and non-magical plants. Though I did have to ask his pet snake not to jump out of the plants and scare the other students. They share the class with my Hufflepuffs, but the snake was only targeting the Slytherins for some reason." Sprout said with a chuckle. "It was actually quite amusing to see."

Snape raised another eyebrow in amusement, but held back a snicker. "No doubt a _prank_." He spat. "Just like his father."

"How has Harry adjusted to Slytherin House?" Dumbledore asked.

Snape sighed in annoyance. "He is shunned by the entire house. They seem to be afraid of him because of his ability to speak Parseltongue. I heard whispers that he is the next Dark Lord and other such nonsense. He can often be found by one of the windows with that snake wrapped around his shoulders, doing homework or sitting lost in thought. He seems to be a loner with no friends."

Dumbledore frowned. "Can you do something to encourage the boys of his year to interact with him?"

"I doubt it Headmaster. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott are not likely to be…friendly…towards him, if you get my meaning. Zabini on the other hand might be promising, but he mostly sticks to Malfoy. However, in Potions yesterday he seemed to be friendly with two Gryffindors. A muggle born female by the name of Granger, and the Longbottom boy."

"Yes, they do seem friendly with Mr. Potter." McGonagall said. "I have observed them in the library together. He seems to help Mr. Longbottom a great deal with his studies."

"Is that so?" Dumbledore asked curiously, and she nodded. "Are they afraid of his ability to speak Parseltongue?"

"Not that I've noticed. Mr. Longbottom seems ok with it, and with Miss Granger being a muggle born, I don't think she understands how that is really perceived." She answered. "They seem to like the snake, and I have observed both Mr. Longbottom and Miss Granger petting it."

"Is it ok for him to have that snake Albus? Should we discourage its presence?" Flitwick asked. "It hasn't caused any trouble to my knowledge. In my class, it sits on the desk in front of Mr. Potter and observes the other students. I do find him talking to it quite a bit, but in Charms, he's at the top of the class. He got the levitating charm right away. It only took him three tries. He also helps the other students, once he has completed the task."

"It's the same for my class." Several other Professors said in unison.

"No. In truth snakes are an authorized pet. Salazar Slytherin himself made it so. It's just in the last sixty years or so we have discouraged them. We only say they are allowed an owl, cat, or toad because snakes are looked upon unfavorably. Especially since Voldemort." He answered, and ignored the flinch that everyone displayed at the mention of the name. "As long as little Nora doesn't cause any problems she is free to stay."

Snape scoffed. "So he gets special treatment because he's a Potter."

"I-I-I find i-it o-odd that the boy who def-defeated Y-Y-You-Know-Who i-is able to talk to s-s-snakes." Professor Quirrell said. "Should w-we watch him in c-c-case he is a da-rk w-w-wizard?"

Dumbledore frowned at the stuttering man. "No, I do not think Harry is a dark wizard. However, I do think he needs to be watched. Severus, as his head of house, I want you to keep an eye on him. Pay attention to what he reads and who he speaks too. Also, try to get some of the more neutral and lighter Slytherins to interact with him."

Snape sighed loudly. "Of course Headmaster." He said, shaking his head.

Dumbledore smiled at him. "Thank you."

"Albus, what of the boy's home life? Several of us have overheard him say that he was mistreated at his muggle relatives. From what I understand, they worked him like a house elf and they abused him both physically and verbally." Madam Pomfrey said. "I want to check him…"

"That won't be necessary Poppy." Dumbledore said, putting up a hand. "I realize Harry is small for his age, and I too have heard him speak of his home life, but I think it is a simple misunderstanding. Children often claim abuse when there is none. Their minds work on a different level than ours. I believe he is fine."

The medi-witch huffed, but remained silent. Snape raised an eyebrow, but he too kept quiet. However, McGonagall spoke up.

"Albus, you heard me say that they were the worst sort of muggles…"

"I know Minerva, but I had a talk with the Dursleys and they assured me that they didn't go too far with discipline. They are his family after all, and they have agreed to allow him to stay with them next summer, despite his disappearing act."

"Very well." McGonagall said in an unsure tone as she sighed.

"Now, I have one last thing. Severus, it has come to my attention that you gave Harry detention because of Nora. Is there a chance that I can talk you out of that?" Dumbledore asked.

"No." He said sharply. "Regardless of my new knowledge that snakes are authorized, I will still have him serve detention. His letter said owl, cat, or a toad, not a snake. He will receive no special treatment from _me_." He sneered.

Dumbledore sighed with disappointment. "I see. Very well then. I thank you all for being here this morning. Have a good weekend."

* * *

After breakfast that same morning, Salazar decided to spend some time outside in the warm sunshine. He was sitting beside the lake, and Nora was playing around in the shallow water. He had his homework for the week spread out in front of him, but looked up when he heard footsteps approaching.

"Stay away from Hermione and Neville you stupid Slytherin snake." The red haired boy said, trying his best to look menacing.

Salazar raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry but I don't think we have met yet. What is your name?"

The red head was caught off guard by the lack of acknowledgement to his threat. "Um…Ron Weasley."

"Hello Ron. I'm Harry Potter. It's nice to meet you." Salazar said, and grinned at Ron's obvious confusion.

Ron narrowed his eyes and glared at Salazar. "Don't think I'm fooled by your niceness for one bloody second. I know you're evil. Anyone that can talk to snakes is evil. You stay away from Hermione and Neville."

_"Speaker? Is that carrot bothering you?"_

_"Yes Nora, but you have to understand, he is young and confused. He doesn't know any better. Everything is fine."_

_"Ok then. I will go back to playing in the water. It's quite refreshing you know."_ She said, and slithered back to the shallow water.

"See. Evil." Ron hissed.

Salazar rolled his eyes. "What makes you think I'm evil? Besides the whole 'talking to snakes thing'."

"You're a dark wizard. Everyone says so! You…you…are a Slytherin!"

"So talking to snakes and being a Slytherin makes me a dark wizard?"

"Yes!" Ron shouted. "You want to corrupt Neville and Hermione. Yes that's it! You want to corrupt them and make them dark wizards too!"

"Why would I want to do that?" Salazar asked in a slightly amused tone.

Ron looked at a loss for words, but glared at Salazar. "Because you're evil, and anyway, your plan won't work! They are Gryffindors." Ron said smugly, as if that was the final word on the matter.

"So let me get this right. I'm an evil dark wizard because I'm a Slytherin and talk to snakes. I want to corrupt two Gryffindors and turn them into evil dark wizards too."

"Yes." He said, though he sounded unsure now.

"So why Gryffindors and not another Slytherin who would be more open to the idea?"

Ron wavered for a moment, but then sighed. "I don't know." He mumbled.

Salazar chuckled. "Truth is Ron, I never knew I was a wizard until I got my letter. I'm no more evil than you are. Hermione is my friend because we have something in common. We were both raised in the muggle world and can talk about things we know about from that world. My mother was a muggle born too, yet that seems to be something that most people forget. My father was a pure blood who fought against You-Know-Who. Neville is a pure blood whose family also fought against You-Know-Who. They are the only ones who don't run away from the sight of me. They are the only two who have been friendly."

Ron scowled at him. "Well just know that I will be watching you very closely." He said, then turned and stomped away.

_"That was interesting Speaker. You dealt with the Carrot...differently." _Nora said, as she slithered back toward him.

_"Yes well, to deal with a Gryffindor often takes an extreme amount of patience. I am surprised you didn't offer to bite him though."_ Salazar said, looking at her with amusement.

_"I don't eat vegetables." _Nora answered, stretching out in the grass beside him.

Salazar burst out laughing._ "Indeed you don't."_

* * *

A few hours later, Salazar was sitting in the great hall eating lunch when an owl fluttered down beside him. Looking up in surprise, he took the letter from the owl's leg and read it.

_My Old Friend,_

_I have spoken to my other friend about the multiple problems that you mentioned. He admitted that the thought had not crossed his mind, but said that he would look into it. I asked about the location of our mutual enemy, and he assures me that he is fully aware of where he is, but refuses to tell me. _

_I also asked about my property, but he refuses to tell me the measures in which he has taken in order to assure its safety. He said it was for my own protection._

_I don't know what to make of all this, and I already know what your reaction is. It is one thing for you to refuse me information about the whereabouts of other people for mine and their safety, but it is entirely another thing when it involves my own property. I can tell you that something seems off to me. Please find my property my friend, and put it in the safe place._

_Your Old Friend,_

_Me_

Salazar reread the letter from Nicholas, and immediately shook his head. He didn't know what Albus was playing at by refusing to let Nicholas know about the security measures for the stone, but it didn't set well with Salazar.

He looked at Nicholas's plain brown barn owl and sighed. "Give me a minute to write a reply."

The owl hooted in acknowledgement, and settled down beside him.

_My Old Friend,_

_I agree something is not right, and I cannot imagine why you would be refused such important information. However, I have recently been proven wrong about a certain person who I thought was no good. This person might be able to give us the answers we seek. I do not know for sure if this person is willing to work with us yet, but I have had them swear an oath to not speak about our secrets. _

_I questioned this person rather vigorously with Veritaserum and I am thoroughly convinced about their loyalty, so there is no reason for concern. If this person agrees to help us, I will most certainly pass on any information I can gather._

_Your Old Friend,_

_Me_

Salazar rolled up the piece of parchment, sealed it, tied it to the owl's leg, and watched it fly off. He sat there pondering over why Albus would not be forthcoming with this very important knowledge, but he could not understand the logic or come up with any sensible conclusions. He was still sitting there trying to make sense of it all when he was interrupted by two very excited Gryffindors.

"Harry, Harry!" Hermione breathed in a frantic whisper, as she and Neville plopped down beside him at the Slytherin table. "We have got something to tell you!"

Neville took a deep breath, leaned over towards him, and whispered quietly. "We were in the common room when Fred and George Weasley came in looking really frightened about something. Their friend Lee was sitting near us, and we overheard them talking about the third floor. They unlocked the door because they wanted to know what the 'pain of death' part of Dumbledore's warning meant, and they came face to face with a vicious three headed dog!" He finished franticly.

Salazar felt his blood run cold as he stared at the two frightened children. "Have you told _anyone_ else about this?"

"N-no." Hermione said. "We told you because we wanted to warn you, but if this gets out, other students might want to see it and get hurt!"

"That is very good thinking Hermione, and I agree. This needs to stay a secret. Were the Weasleys hurt at all?"

Neville shook his head. "No we don't think so. They just looked really scared."

Salazar felt himself relax a bit. "Ok, _do not_ tell anyone else about the dog." He whispered.

"We won't." They said in unison.

Salazar nodded and refrained the urge to hex the idiot Headmaster, who had just entered the great hall, and tell the man that locking up a _Cerberus_ inside a school full of _children_ was the dumbest thing in the world. Instead, he sighed and pinch the bridge of his nose. He didn't know what to think about all this, but he needed to get his thoughts together on the matter.

Suddenly, Hermione let out a shriek, and Salazar looked up to see that someone had dropped a pitcher full of pumpkin juice over her head. She sat there dripping wet, with a look of shock on her face. He glanced down the table and saw that Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were sitting a few seats away and were laughing.

"Sorry Granger." Malfoy said in a tone that implied otherwise. "We were practicing the levitating charm. We must have messed something up." He laughed.

Neville jumped up with his wand in his hand. "It doesn't sound like you are all that sorry Malfoy." He accused.

"Oooooh! The squib has guts!" Malfoy sneered. "You two need to go back to the Gryffindor table where you belong. We don't like your kind."

Salazar calmly flicked his wand at a bowl of chips, a plate of sandwiches, and a pitcher of milk, and sent them flying at the three pompous clowns. The milk hit Draco square in the head, which made it splash all over him. The chips flew into Crabbe's face, and the sandwiches flew apart and sprayed their ingredients all over Goyle's robes.

"Sorry about that." Salazar shrugged, as a few Hufflepuffs began laughing from their table. "I was practicing the banishing charm that I read about, and something must have gone wrong."

Draco jumped up from his seat, and drew his wand. Salazar also jumped up, along with Neville and a still soaking wet Hermione. Despite his small size, Salazar shoved them behind himself in order to shield them as best as he could, and glared at Draco.

Draco however, decided he didn't like being on the business end of Salazar's wand, so instead he clenched his fists.

"Potter! You wait until I tell my father about this!" He shouted, wiping milk off of his face. Then he turned around with Crabbe and Goyle in tow, and began stomping out of the great hall.

"You tell your father Malfoy!" Salazar shouted after him. "You tell him, and warn him that if he has the nerve to come after me, that I will tie his slimy arse up into a blasted pretzel!"

Draco wheeled around to face him. "Don't threaten my father Potter! I'll make you pay!"

"Don't threaten me _with _your father! Learn to fight your own battles without involving dear old Daddy you bloody coward!"

This last comment sent Draco into a fit of rage. "Petrificus Totalus!" The blond screamed.

"Protego!" Salazar cried, throwing up shield charm that was large enough to protect himself, Hermione, and Neville.

The full-body bind curse bounced off the shield and flew back towards Draco. The blond stood rooted to the spot in shock, and his own curse hit him right in the chest. Draco's whole body seized up and he fell over with a loud thump.

"How did that work out for you Malfoy!?" A third year Slytherin exclaimed, and most of the great hall started laughing.

Crabbe and Goyle drew their own wands, but Salazar lazily summoned them, along with Malfoy's. He calmly grabbed them as they sailed toward him and placed them in front of a strangely amused looking Dumbledore. Then he turned to face the three boys.

"I'm sure if you ask Professor Dumbledore very nicely for your wands, he will give them back to you." He said loudly. Then he turned his full attention to Hermione and Neville. "Are you two ok?" He asked with concern.

Neville nodded, but Hermione shook her head.

"No, I'm covered in pumpkin juice." She said, looking at him with tears in her eyes. "I feel…gross."

"Do you want me to teach you a new spell?" Salazar asked gently. Her eyes brightened up a bit, and she nodded. "Ok, this one is a cleaning spell that I read about, and the incantation is 'tergeo'. What it does is siphon liquids off of something, or in this case, someone. Are you ready?"

They nodded, and began practicing the spell. Hermione was able to get it after a few tries, but Neville took a little longer. They were standing in front of the head table, and Salazar noticed that Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall were smiling in their direction. Dumbledore was strangely beaming with pride, but Quirrell seemed to be studying him in an odd sort of way. The way Quirrell was looking at him made Salazar's scar sting.

"Thank you Harry." Hermione said after they were finished. "I've never had friends as nice as you and Neville. I'm used to being picked on, but no one has ever stood up for me before."

Neville blushed, but Salazar smiled at her. "I've been there Hermione. I know how it feels, its ok."

"Will you also show us that thing you did to make Malfoy's curse bounce back at him." Neville asked hopefully.

Salazar laughed. "It called a shield charm, and yes, I will."

They grinned at him, and then started laughing at the memory of Malfoy falling over.

"I have detention with Professor Snape though, so I better get going. May I suggest that you two go back to Gryffindor Tower? I know you must still feel sticky Hermione, and would like to freshen up."

"Yes Harry, you are right." She said with a giggle.

"I will walk with you." Neville offered, and Hermione giggled again as they caught sight of a 7th year Slytherin finally canceling the curse on Malfoy.

When he stood up, he glared at them, but fled the room as people pointed and laughed.

_"Should I go with them Speaker?"_ Nora asked, as she glared at Draco's retreating form from Salazar's pocket.

He took her out, placed her on the head table, and looked at her curiously. _"Why?"_

_"To make sure they get there safely of course. I am deadly you know."_

He chuckled, and turned to his friends. "She wants to know if she can go with you. To make sure you get there safely."

Hermione and Neville grinned, and Neville held out his hand. Nora happily slithered into his robe sleeve, and poked her head out.

_"I'll keep a watch out for Puny. He won't get past me."_

Salazar shook his head and laughed. _"I have no doubts about that my friend."_ Then he repeated what Nora said. "I better get going though. I'll see you all at dinner."

They nodded, and Salazar began making his way to the dungeons.

* * *

As Salazar neared Snape's office, he noticed that the door was slightly ajar and that there was a loud voice coming from the room. He double checked the corridor, and quickly used the disillusionment charm to make himself invisible. He crept over to the door, peeked in, and almost laughed out loud at the sight. Draco was ranting to Snape, who was calmly sitting at his desk and listening.

Salazar carefully opened the door a bit farther and slipped in. He noticed that Snape caught the slight movement, but the young Potions Master didn't acknowledge it. He silently sat down in a chair in one of the dark corners, and briefly lit the tip of his wand to let Snape know where he was. When Snape slightly nodded his head, Salazar knew that Snape knew exactly who it was that came in.

"…and he humiliated me!" Draco cried, as he stomped back and forth in front of Snape's desk. "Wait until my father hears about this!"

"Where did Potter put your wands?"

"He gave them to that muggle loving fool Dumbledore." Draco spat. Then his voice softened, and he looked at Snape. "Can you get them back for us?" He asked hopefully.

Snape shook his head. "I'm afraid I cannot. The Headmaster will tell me no. You will have to do it yourself."

"Stupid Potter." Draco said with a scowl. "He will pay for this!"

"Might I suggest you tread carefully where Potter is concerned?" Snape asked.

"Are you siding with him?" Draco asked in a deadly tone.

"Don't be daft you stupid boy." Snape snapped. "I am saying to tread carefully because, in case you have forgotten, he defeated one of the darkest and most powerful wizards of our time as a fifteen month old _baby_. I know for a fact that he was raised by muggles and didn't know he was a wizard until a _month_ _ago_. If he can pull off the spells that you say he has performed just by _reading_ about them, then he is _extreamly_ powerful. Most _seventh _years can't pull them off, so tread carefully Draco." He warned.

Draco scowled at him. "Fine." He spat. "Come on you two, let's go get our wands." He said, and Crabbe and Goyle loyally followed him out of the room.

When the door had shut, rather forcefully, behind the boys, Salazar shook his head and laughed.

"I applaud your ability to cunningly use words that say, 'mess with Potter at your own risk'."

"Thank you sir." Snape said with a slight smile.

"Draco is a child, so I won't hurt him." Salazar said, as he canceled the charm on himself. "But I will defend myself and those in my company from blatant bullying."

"I wish I could say that I can put a stop to it, but I can't."

"I know. You've been playing the role of a double spy most of your adult life. If you suddenly appeared on the 'light side' you'd lose the respect and confidence of those in the House, and they would never tell you anything."

"That is true." Snape said with a sigh.

"Having been a Professor at this very school, once upon a time, I know how hard it is to keep children in line. Yet at the same time, letting them make their own mistakes. They won't learn if you coddle them all the time. Trust me." Salazar said.

Snape nodded in understanding. "I have thought about your proposal, and I will indeed help you. However, I think I should remain a spy. One day _all_ children in Slytherin may need me, and my help."

"Thank you. I was hoping that you would agree to help, but if you wish to remain a spy, that is your choice. I agree though, the children are our most important priority. However, Slytherin house is not the only house that needs to be protected. Please don't forget that Severus."

Snape nodded. "I do tend to forget that. I must admit, I do favor Slytherin more than the others."

"As do I." Salazar said with a smile. "I suppose I should get on with my detention though. It would not look right if someone came in and saw us simply having a chat."

"I normally have the students scrub caldrons without magic, but for the Slytherins I have them write lines. I am unsure of which one you'd prefer."

"I'll scrub the caldrons. That way we can talk. I received a letter from Nicholas today." Salazar said, reaching into his bag. "And what he had to say honestly leaves me baffled. I was hoping you knew anything about the topics that have been mentioned." Salazar said, handing the letter to the young man.

As Snape read through the letter, Salazar began to scrub the caldrons. A few minutes passed in silence, but then Snape sighed loudly.

"If he knows the current whereabouts of The Dark Lord, then that is news to me. Unless he is speaking about Albania. That was the last place we knew of. However, we know that The Dark Lord knows the new location of the stone, obviously, so I'm assuming that Albus knows where he is now. As for the horcruxes, he has not mentioned them to me yet, but I will let you know if he does. Now, about the stone. I know he has set up a number of different traps under the trap door that resides on the third floor. I don't know exactly what they all are, but I know he has involved several of the Professors, including myself."

"Really? Do you know who is responsible for the Cerberus?"

Snape stared at Salazar. "Cerberus?" He gasped.

"Yes." Salazar said with a frown. "Apparently a few curious students decided to venture to the third floor to find out what the 'pain of death' would be and came face to face with the beast. I was told this today at lunch. Thankfully Neville and Hermione told _only_ me, but I told them to remain quiet about it. Hopefully no more children become curious. I knew, _I knew_ when that bloody Gryffindor mentioned that at the feast, that that was where the stone was, and I _knew_ that some child would 'get curious'. You _don't _say things like that unless you want a child to find it. It should not have even been _hinted_ at." Salazar ranted.

Snape nodded his head in agreement, but then rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, the Weasley twins discovered it."

Salazar laughed and nodded. "Yes. What concerns me though, is the fact that two third years were able to easily access the third floor."

"The Cerberus would be Hagrid's doing. I know he is one of the people protecting the stone. The door to the third floor is locked though."

"Just locked!" Salazar cried. "What the hell is Albus thinking!? A simple unlocking charm can cause it to open. A first year could do that!" Salazar sat down in a nearby chair, sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "There are other reasons why I don't trust Dumbledore, but this, this is just…mind blowing. If I may, who are the other Professors protecting the stone."

"Myself, Hagrid, Pomona, Minerva, Filius, Quirrell, and Albus himself."

"Quirrell?" Salazar asked curiously.

Snape nodded. "Yes sir, why are you surprised? He is the Defense Professor."

"What do you know about him?"

"Well, he was the muggle studies teacher for the longest time, but when Albus couldn't find a Professor this year, Quirrell volunteered for it. I must admit that I ask every year for the position, but Albus never grants my request. He is afraid that I will revert to my old ways."

"Would you?"

"Not to the extent that I was, but he still refuses." Snape said bitterly.

"Well whether you would, or would not, is really beside the point. There is something…odd…about Quirrell though. Every time he looks at me, the horcrux in my head hurts." Salazar said, tapping his scar. "I haven't worked out what that means yet, but it is very odd."

"It hurts? What could that mean? Do you think Quirrell is a lower ranking Death Eater that I was unaware of? Do you think the Dark Mark causes it?"

"It had crossed my mind, but no, I don't think that's the cause. I can look at and converse with you and not have any pain, but he is different."

Salazar sat lost in thought for a few minutes, and Snape watched him in silence. As Salazar processed everything that Snape had told him, one nagging thing kept coming to the forefront of his mind. Finally, he turned to Snape.

"What is Albus's plan for Harry Potter? Over the summer, Nicholas mentioned to me that Albus has taken a direct interest in my life. Do you know anything?"

Snape sighed and nodded. "Yes, and it deals with that bloody prophecy. He wants to keep you safe and, to some extent, control you. Just this morning at our staff meeting he was asking about you, but he has never done that with any other student. He asked how you were doing in your classes, and I must admit you have gotten on all of the Professors good sides." He said with a smile. "Then he asked how you were getting along with those in Slytherin, so I told him. He wants me to get some of the lighter and more neutral students to befriend you. He is pleased with your friendliness with Granger and Longbottom though."

Salazar smiled fondly at the mention of Neville and Hermione. "They are a bright spot in my day. Neville is a very shy boy, but I think he's coming out of his shell little by little. He is not incompetent, but he does have trouble using his magic, and I plan to figure out why. Hermione is a very bright little girl, and honestly, I find talking to her to be quite enjoyable really. Her brain is amazing for one as young as her. Sometimes I find myself almost calling her Rowena on occasion. I wonder why the child didn't end up in Ravenclaw." He muttered thoughtfully, but then shook himself out of his musings. "As for Dumbledore, I'm not surprised. His motto has always been…his way or no way. He tried to control the Potters because of the prophecy, and he do doubt will try to control me." He said with a sigh. "He will find it difficult to do so though." He said with a mischievous grin.

Snape chuckled lightly. "That will certainly be entertaining to watch."

"Even more fun to play." Salazar laughed. "However, I did send a letter back to Nicholas informing him that I have brought you in. I didn't mention you by name, but he will know who I'm talking about. We need to keep as many people in the dark as we can though."

Snape nodded in agreement. "I do want to discuss something else with you sir." He said reluctantly, but Salazar nodded for him to continue. "Before you came here, I had a preconceived idea about how you would be. I am ashamed to say that it was an unfavorable idea. I find myself at a lost on what to do, and wonder how you feel I should act towards you. Everyone believes that I think you are spoiled, arrogant, pampered, and act just like James Potter."

Salazar smiled and chuckled. "James and Lily both warned me that you may think like that, and given your attitude the first week, I figured that's what it was. I also want to tell you that I had an unfavorable view about you as well, but I am happy that I was proven wrong. However, I think we should continue to act like we dislike each other. More so you, than me. If those in Slytherin see you treating me in a favorable manner, your life may be in danger. On top of that, if they see you treating me with contempt they are more likely to run off at the mouth and give us useful information. Besides, it should be fun for you."

The corners of Snape's mouth quirked up in a smile. "Indeed." He chuckled. "However, if for any reason I anger or offend you with any of my comments or actions, please let me know."

Salazar nodded his head slightly and smiled. "I will indeed let you know."

For the rest of his detention, Salazar scrubbed the cauldrons, and him and Snape talked. Salazar learned a few surprising pleasant things, but he also learned some horrifying truths.


	6. Shortcuts, Carrots, and Malfoys

**Chapter 6**

**Shortcuts, Carrots, and Malfoys**

_Salazar you blasted idiot! How could you be so stupid?! Pettigrew is dead! Now Albus knows you're lying, and your little plan to rat out Pettigrew as the traitor has blown up in your face! Stupid, stupid, stupid! That is a Gryffindor mistake! Why didn't you check to make sure the rat was still alive?! _Salazar ranted to himself, as he ran down a dimly lit shortcut.

He was obviously not in a good mood. He had just come from the common room, where he had written a letter to Lily and James giving them the details about Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. Salazar, of course, had learned this information from Snape during detention. Snape wanted to know how Dumbledore reacted to the news about Salazar meeting a _dead _Peter Pettigrew, so Salazar told him that Dumbledore looked shocked, but hadn't said anything.

Now Salazar knew _why_ Dumbledore had looked shocked. Pettigrew was dead!

It was also one of the reasons why Salazar was running full speed down a dimly lit, and _very _dusty shortcut, that he was pretty sure hadn't been used in a few centuries. This one led from the dungeons straight to the second floor, and for once he was thankful for all the running he had to do to get away from Dudley.

_Just two more shortcuts to the owlery! I have to get this letter to Lily and James. They are going to be so disappointed! I hate to have to tell them this news about Sirius, but I cannot believe I was so stupid!_

He was so busy yelling at himself that he wasn't paying any attention to how close he was to the end of the shortcut. He burst out of the hidden exit in a massive whirlwind of dust, and crashed into the back of a man wearing a purple turban.

Then a few things seemed to happen all at once.

Professor Quirrell let out a surprised scream at the same time Salazar felt his nose make a horrible crunching sound. Salazar spun around wildly with tears in his eyes from the sudden blinding pain in both his nose _and_ his scar, but he managed to see that Quirrell was now laying sprawled out on the floor because of the impact.

He wasn't alone though.

A very surprised Snape, McGonagall, and Dumbledore were also standing there, and they had all apparently been talking with each other. The Professors were now coughing and sputtering because of all the dust in the air, but Salazar just stood there in shock trying to process what happened. He was covered in so much dust that he looked like a ghost, with blood pouring out of his nose, and tears streaming down his face.

"Mr. Potter?!" McGonagall gasped, as the dust began to settle. "Are you alright!?"

Dumbledore stood there with an amused expression on his face. Snape's eyebrows had disappeared into his hairline, and Quirrell was slowly getting back to his feet.

"Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked again.

Salazar was honestly at a lost for words about the situation, but he couldn't say anything even if he wanted too.

Because he had to sneeze.

Deciding to make the best of a bad situation, and to avoid any questions for the time being, he decided to sneeze onto the portrait that hid the next shortcut that he needed access to. This action not only hurt because of his broken nose, but also gave him a reason to 'accidently' find the shortcut through the painting.

After spraying blood all over the painting when he sneezed, he waited a moment for it to soak in before 'accidently' leaning against it. Then he disappeared through the painting with a 'surprised' scream, before sliding down the wall to catch his breath.

"MR. POTTER!" McGonagall yelled frantically, as she banged on the painting in an attempt to figure out what happened. "Mr. Potter can you hear me!? Albus! What do we do!? He's trapped in the wall!"

"Now Minerva, I'm sure our young Harry is fine." Salazar heard Dumbledore say calmly, as he healed his nose.

"Albus! He had a bloody nose!" She shrieked. "Where did he come from, and why was he running so fast?! What if he got hit in the face!?"

"I think that had more to do with the impact." Snape said with a laugh.

"Severus!" She chided. "Don't laugh, he could be seriously hurt!"

"W-w-where did the b-b-boy go?" A very confused Quirrell asked.

"Well it seems that young Harry has managed to find one of Slytherin's blood activated shortcuts." Albus said nonchalantly.

"WHAT!?" McGonagall yelled. "Blood activated!?"

"Oh yes. All the Founders created their own shortcuts. Salazar used blood, Rowena and Helga used charms, and Godric used passwords. They are all usable by everyone and sometimes crisscross each other. The walls of Hogwarts hold more shortcuts than we often realize. The trick is finding them all because no one knows exactly where they are, or how to access them. For example, on the fourth floor there is a brick that is set in the wall vertically, and to access the shortcut you need to change the color. What that color is, no one knows. It could even be a combination of colors, and unless you have lots of free time and a good memory, you could be trying to figure it out for years. Also there is a portrait of Salazar in the dungeons that conceals a shortcut that leads to the entrance hall. Godric set the password as 'mortal dread'."

Salazar rolled his eyes. _Yes, and Godric thought it was hysterical._

"But blood activated shortcuts!? That's dark magic!" McGonagall shouted, not really wanting to let it go just yet.

Dumbledore sighed. "Yes, I do agree that it's a little disturbing, but it is Salazar Slytherin we are talking about."

"A-and how do you know about t-t-the blood activated s-s-shortcuts?" Quirrell asked.

"Years and years of past Headmasters' written ramblings." Dumbledore simply said.

"But do you think Mr. Potter is alright?" McGonagall asked. She still sounded uncertain about the whole ordeal.

"I'm sure he's fine Minerva. He is probably already on the seventh floor, or wherever this one happens to lead to. He more than likely feels rather embarrassed by it all." Dumbledore said.

"B-but where did t-the boy c-c-come from?"

"Another shortcut it looks like." Snape said, though his voice sounded muffled this time.

"Severus stop laughing!"

"Well it serves the Potter brat right! Strutting around the castle like he owns it. I should give him another detention!" Snape shouted.

"Now, Severus I do think you are overreacting. Harry is apparently having a string of good luck this evening, but I must say he did manage to find one that obviously had not been used in a while. It was rather dusty." Dumbledore said.

After that, Salazar heard them shuffle away. McGonagall was still muttering about finding him to make sure he was ok, but Salazar breathed a sigh of relief when Dumbledore assured her that 'Harry' would eventually show up at dinner. If 'Harry' didn't show up, then Dumbledore said he would send someone to look for him.

Salazar took a deep breath and stood up. _Right! Now, on to the owlery._

* * *

After leaving the owlery, Salazar decided to take the long way back so he could stop off in a bathroom to get himself somewhat cleaned up. He had stressed to Hedwig that the letter was important, but not as important as her life. He was worried about her having to cross the open ocean to get to Brazil, and told her to rest as often as she needed to before she made that crossing. Salazar knew he wouldn't see her for a couple weeks.

After cleaning the dust off his clothes and blood off his face, he finally felt good enough to go to dinner. He still wasn't as presentable as he'd like to be, but it would have to do until he took a shower.

As he entered the great hall, he noticed McGonagall watching the doors like a hawk and saw when she let out a breath that she had seemingly been holding. Snape was there as well, and actually smirked when they locked eyes. Dumbledore smiled at him, and Quirrell was scowling, but _not_ at him.

Salazar followed his gaze and that's when he noticed that the Gryffindor table looked rather odd. There was a big space in the middle where no one was sitting, and from that space lots of hissing could be heard.

_Nora!_

He made a beeline towards the Gryffindor table, but when he got closer, that's when he heard what was going on.

_"…and another thing you stupid vegetable, I am the deadliest snake in the world! Speaker is not evil, Bushy and Bottom are not dark, and if you keep saying that they are…I will bite you!" _

Nora was commanding an audience. Gryffindors were watching the little black snake carefully as she hissed and slithered back and forth across the table. Her head was raised, and it was clear that she was talking to Ron because that's who she was facing.

Ron, for his part, looked pale and too scared to move. Obviously he thought that if he did, she would strike.

_"What is going on here?"_

Every head whipped around to face him.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, at the same time Neville cried, "What happened to you?!"

_"Speaker, my patience with the Carrot is almost at an end. He yelled at Bushy and Bottom and told them to 'take me over to where I belong'. He also said that you were a stupid evil Slytherin and that Bushy and Bottom are going dark! I may have to start rethinking my vegetable intake!"_

"Ron, I advise you to keep your false accusations to yourself. In case you haven't noticed, Nora _can_ understand English, and your comments about Hermione, Neville, and myself have nearly caused you to be bitten. Do yourself a favor, and keep quiet." Salazar said sternly.

"But you're a slimy Slytherin! You're trying to…ahhhhh!" Ron screamed, as Nora lunged at him.

He fell out of his seat and landed on the floor on his back. Thankfully Nora was only threatening Ron and had no intention of actually biting him. If she had really wanted to though, she could have easily got him when he hit the floor.

"I warned you." Salazar said, as Ron glared up at him. _"Nora, come to me. I don't want to take a chance of someone shooting a spell at you."_

Still hissing as loud as she could, Nora complied. She slithered over to him, and disappeared in his robe sleeve.

"Are you two alright?" Salazar asked, looking at Hermione and Neville.

They laughed and nodded. "We haven't had a problem until just a few minutes ago." Neville said. "Ron had actually been talking to us all day. He was trying to warn us about you being evil, but he didn't know Nora was around until we sat down for dinner. That's when Hermione offered Nora some chicken. She came out, and that's when Ron started yelling." He laughed.

_"That's also when I finally lost my patience." _Nora added. _"If that stupid Carrot would stop talking bad about you and pay more attention to his homework, he wouldn't have gotten a 'T' on his charms paper. Whatever all that means."_

"A 'T' on his paper?" Salazar asked.

Hermione laughed. "She understands a lot, doesn't she? Earlier, Ron was complaining to us that he got a 'T' in charms."

"What did that stupid snake say about my homework!?" Ron yelled.

"That if you stopped worrying about me and what I'm doing, and paid more attention to your studies, you wouldn't get bad marks."

Ron glared at them before stomping to the far end of the table. He sat down in a huff, and began piling food onto his plate.

_"Stupid vegetable." _Nora grumbled.

"So Harry, what happened to you?" Neville asked. "You look a mess."

Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table and began to place food on his own plate. He ignored the curious looks and glares of the Gryffindors though.

"Well, I found a shortcut." He said, and began to explain what had happened earlier.

After a lot of laughing, and curious grins from the Weasley twins, Salazar finally calmed down enough to realize that he hadn't apologized to any of the Professors, and said as much.

"You really should go apologize Harry. It's the polite thing to do." Hermione said. "We will watch your food."

"It is the polite thing to do, thank you Hermione." Salazar said with a nod. Then he took a deep breath, got up, and headed for the head table.

"M-Mr. P-Potter, what can I-I do f-for you?" Quirrell asked, as Salazar approached him.

Salazar sucked in a deep breath as pain flicked across his scar, but he tried not to let it show.

"Sir, I just wanted to apologize for knocking you over. I was telling Hermione and Neville what happened when I realized that I hadn't. Are you ok? I didn't hurt you did I?" He asked, looking as innocent as he could.

"N-no Mr. P-Potter you didn't h-hurt m-m-me. However, I am c-curious about where y-you ended up."

"Oh I came out on the 5th floor. I honestly don't even know how I fell through that painting. I was just out exploring because I haven't had a chance to yet. I had overheard some older Ravenclaws talking to first years about shortcuts. They said that the Founders used magic to hide them, so I went around trying to find them. I honestly didn't know what I was doing, but I read about the revealing charm and decided to see if anything came of it."

"And did it Potter?" Snape asked curtly.

"Oh yes sir. I found a shortcut from the dungeons to the second floor."

Quirrell glared at him, and that made the scar sting even more. "And why w-w-were you in such a-a hurry?"

"It was scary, dark, and full of dust." Salazar said with a grimace, as he rubbed his scar. "I don't know if I will use it again."

Snape eyes flickered between Salazar and Quirrell, but Salazar decided not to acknowledge it right now, especially in such close proximity to Quirrell.

"And what about you Mr. Potter? Are you alright?" McGonagall leaned over and asked with concern.

"Yes ma'am." Salazar said with a nod. "I fixed my nose. I think I broke it."

"_You _fixed your nose?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes ma'am. I read about a minor healing charm in a book I bought over the summer. I used 'episkey', and I think I got it to work properly. At least it doesn't hurt now."

"Still, I would like you to visit Madam Pomfrey in the hospital wing just to be sure. I warn you, I will be checking with her to make sure you went, so don't try to skip out."

"Yes ma'am. Again, I'm so sorry for running into you all like that. Especially you Professor Quirrell."

"It's a-a-alright Mr. P-Potter."

Salazar nodded his head slightly, turned, and made his way back to the Gryffindor table. It had been a very long day, and he was hungry.

* * *

A few days later, Salazar found himself in yet another amusing situation. Only this time he hadn't caused it. Well, not entirely that is. Apparently the little blond nuisance known as Malfoy had indeed 'told his father', and now Salazar found himself in the Headmaster's office facing said father.

He had been studying in the common room when Snape came to get him, and on the way to Albus's office Snape had filled him in. Salazar really didn't know what to make of all this, so in the short time it took to get from the dungeons to the Headmaster's Tower, he decided to wing it.

When he got there, he was surprised at who all was gathered in the office. Dumbledore obviously, and with McGonagall being Deputy Head, he understood her presence. Snape too, for the obvious reason of being Head of House. Draco, Lucius, and Narcissa of course, but why was Quirrell there? That had surprised Salazar more than the meeting itself. It seemed to also throw Snape for a loop, because when they arrived, he glanced at Quirrell, paused for a moment, but then stood in a dark corner to watch the confrontation.

Salazar sat in one of Dumbledore's squashy arm chairs, and looked around the room innocently. Draco was smirking proudly, Lucius and Narcissa looked at him like he was a disease, Dumbledore looked strangely unperturbed, McGonagall looked nervous, but Quirrell somehow looked both nervous and angry. Salazar didn't know how that was even possible.

"Am I in trouble? I don't understand what this is about." Salazar said, as he shifted uncomfortably.

Dumbledore smiled. "I will explain Harry. The other day in the great hall you…"

"Attacked my son and threatened me." Lucius said, cutting across Dumbledore abruptly.

Salazar was immediately on the defensive, but he didn't let it show. He did however, decide to deal with the Death Eater like the Professor he once was. He was going to have fun chastising Lucius, as if the man were a common pupil. He was also going to enjoy making the man a tad uncomfortable.

He shifted around until he was sitting up straight in the chair. Then he steepled his fingers, cocked his head to one side, and called for Nora without taking his eyes off the Malfoys.

_"My dear, perhaps you should make your presence known. I would not like for anyone to accuse me of hiding you. You can sit on the arm of my chair."_

_"Very well Speaker."_ She said, sliding out of his robe sleeve. _"I want to see what Puny's family looks like anyway."_

Salazar smiled, but suppressed a chuckle as Lucius and Narcissa's eyes widened in fear at suddenly hearing Parseltongue. He was also happy to notice that Lucius's eyes flicked across his body posture, but they zeroed in on Nora when she coiled up on the arm of the chair.

_This should go a little easier. _Salazar thought. _It could even be entertaining._

"I'm afraid I don't understand Mr. Malfoy. Could you elaborate?" Salazar asked curiously.

Lucius recovered quickly and was back to his normal arrogance. "We are here today to settle this little matter and see that there will be no more threats from you towards me and my son. You attacked my son, and threatened me. I do believe the words were, 'tie his slimy arse up into a blasted pretzel'. That is a threat Mr. Potter, in case you were unaware."

"I am aware of that." Salazar said cold voice. "However, did little Draco also tell you that he attacked a friend of mine in the middle of the great hall? I responded by banishing a pitcher of milk at him. He also cast the full-body bind curse at me, and I responded with a shield charm that caused the full-body bind to rebound. I am sure that you are fully aware that shields can do that. It is not my fault that your son lacks the self-preservation skills that Slytherin prides itself on. Draco attacking his peers in the middle of the great hall, like a hot headed _Gryffindor_, doesn't bode well for the Malfoy family name. But as the muggles say, like father-like son." Salazar said with a sigh.

Salazar noticed that the Malfoys visibly stiffened at the verbal barb. Dumbledore chuckled, McGonagall sucked in a breath, and Quirrell let out what sounded like a tiny snort. He, of course, couldn't see Snape, but he did hear the young man shuffle around.

Lucius narrowed his eyes. "How dare you Potter!" He spat. "My son does _not_ act like a Gryffindor, nor do I!"

"Are you sure?" Salazar asked. "Because I have only been here for a week and a half and I have been trying to figure out how the Malfoys ended up in Slytherin in the first place. Your son starts things in the middle of the great hall so that he gets laughed out of the very room. _He_ threatens _me_ by yelling about telling his father, when he is the one who starts it. Then he runs to dear old Daddy to fix his problems for him. Well, I suppose that last part could be considered Slytherin like, but not by much. As for _you _acting like a Gryffindor Mr. Malfoy, well a Death Eater who screams imperius just after Voldemort is destroyed is very _brave_. Bravery is a trait of Gryffindor, not Slytherin, last I checked." Salazar said, and the room suddenly became very still and quiet, as everyone stared at him in shock.

"How dare you!" Lucius shouted, jumping out of his seat. "I have _never _been so insulted in my life! You don't even know what you are talking about!"

_"Sit down you pompous clown!"_ Nora yelled, as she lifted her head and hissed loudly._ "You spit all over me because of your insane ramblings! I do not appreciate that!"_

_"He just doesn't like to face the truth my dear." _Salazar said soothingly, as he absentmindedly caressed her head. _"It is all right."_

Salazar smirked at Lucius, as the man backpedaled and sat down when the Parseltongue was spoken.

"Actually I do know what I'm talking about. Granted, I have only known about the wizarding world for little over a month, but I do read. When I learned who I was, and what happened to my parents, I decided to pay _The Daily Prophet_ a little visit. Back dated issues of the paper came in very handy, and your trial caught my eye. At first I believed that you had been imperiused, but now that I have met the Malfoy family, I am beginning to rethink that. I looked into the Unforgivables Mr. Malfoy. I read all about them and I know what they are, and what they can do. Even I, an eleven year old child, can see through the façade that you have created. While most in our world believe that Voldemort is dead and gone, some very important people do not. A Death Eater who screams imperius is not very Slytherin like in my opinion. It is very _brave_ and _Gryffindorish_. What would Voldemort say to you, if he returns? Would he have mercy on you? You turned tail and screamed imperius. I don't think he would be very happy with you. I know _I _wouldn't."

_"Speaker, there is a feeling of great fear in the air, and I smell human urine."_

_"Where is the urine smell coming from?"_

_"The Clown."_ Nora said simply.

Salazar smirked and started to chuckle. Then he looked right at Lucius and gave him a cold condescending smile. "Nora tells me you have soiled yourself Mr. Malfoy. Perhaps you should go take care of that."

Lucius paled and looked around nervously before rising out of his seat. "We are done here. Come Narcissa and Draco, let's go." He said, as he roughly grabbed his son and dragged him towards the door.

Salazar watched as the Malfoys left in a hurry. It seemed that the tension that had built up in the room had left with them, but Salazar was in no way going to drop his guard. He knew that he might have gone a little too far with the Death Eater and Voldemort thing, but if asked about it, he would just act as innocently as he could. Or at least try too anyway. However, rattling Death Eaters and making them feel uncomfortable _was_ quickly becoming a favorite pastime of his. He just hoped Severus would forgive him.

_"At least that horrible smell is gone now."_ Nora said, as she slithered off the arm of the chair to settle in Salazar's lap.

Salazar just chuckled, and petted her head lightly.

"I-I must applaud you M-Mr. P-P-Potter. I-I don't think I have e-ever s-s-seen Lucius M-M-Malfoy run from a-a-an eleven year o-old before." Quirrell said with a chuckle.

Salazar really didn't know what to say to that, but he smiled. "Thank you sir. I just said how I felt about the matter. I don't know what Draco told him, but at least he heard my side of the story."

"I do believe Professor Quirrell was referring to the Death Eater and You-Know-Who comments Mr. Potter." McGonagall said. "Personally, I find it all a little disturbing myself."

"As do I." Dumbledore agreed. "Tell me Harry, how do you feel about Voldemort?"

Salazar stared at Albus in disbelief. "With all due respect sir, he killed my parents. Am I supposed to give him a hug if I ever have the misfortune of meeting him?" He asked, and nearly jumped when Quirrell laughed loudly.

"What w-w-was the b-boy s-s-supposed to s-say A-Albus?" He asked, and received a glare from Dumbledore.

Behind him, Salazar heard what sounded like a cross between a snort and a scoff. "Arrogant little prat. Just like your father. You have no respect for..."

"Severus." Dumbledore said in a warning tone. "No Harry, I do not think you should hug Voldemort." He said a bit more kindly. "I am disturbed that you have read about such dark magic like the Unforgivables though."

Salazar internally rolled his eyes, but did not let his feelings on the matter show. _This subject needs to be deflected, or else I will blow up the man's office._ "I'm sorry sir, but the muggles have a saying…knowledge is power. When I found out about the wizarding world, I read nearly everything I could about it. When I read what happened to my parents and me, I wanted to know how they died. The killing curse was mentioned, so logically, I investigated."

"But Harry, you are too young…"

"Headmaster," Salazar said trying to control his anger. "I have lived what seems to be several lifetimes." _Oh how true. _"I have seen and been through things most adults have not. I have lived a life of hardship, cruelty, and abuse. I have learned that to have knowledge is to have power. I know have knowledge that will help me keep my enemies at bay, if even for a sort time. The Malfoys, and the Dursleys for that matter, are my enemies and I can deal with both of them."

"You say you have lived a life of hardship, cruelty, and abuse Harry, but I have met and talked with the Dursleys. They have assured me that they didn't go too far with discipline. Surely you must know that a swat on the bottom is not abuse." Dumbledore said kindly.

"A swat on the bottom!?" Salazar cried, jumping out of his seat. "Is _that_ what they told you? I was locked in a broom cupboard for _ten_ _years_! My Hogwarts letter was addressed to Harry Potter, Cupboard under the Stairs! I was beaten if I did 'abnormal things'! I was starved for _days_! I was bullied by my cousin! Does this look like a swat on the bottom!?" He shouted, as he ripped off his robes and undershirt to reveal the scars all over his torso and back. "The person responsible for dumping me with my magic hating Aunt and Uncle needs to be tied to a horse carriage and dragged through the streets in _shame_!"

Salazar was out of control and he knew it. His head was throbbing from the pain in his scar, Dumbledore's desk was vibrating violently, and he knew that if he did not get out of that room, something bad was going to happen.

_Just not the desk. Please not the desk. Godric built that with his bare hands without magic. Not the desk, not the desk. _

BOOM!

_That side table will do!_

One of Dumbledore's side tables had indeed exploded, and it sent wood splinters, and the trinkets it was holding, flying all over the room. Salazar knew he had to get out of there before Dumbledore and the others regained their senses. He snatched up Nora and ran to the door, only to find it locked.

"Let me out!" He shouted.

"No Harry, we need to talk about this." Dumbledore said with a shaky voice. "I'm not letting you out."

"I was not talking to you!" Salazar wheeled around and shouted, as another table exploded. He looked towards the ceiling. "I said let me out!"

The door made several clicking sounds and Salazar wrenched the blasted thing open. He ran all the way down the stairs, and when he reached the bottom, he ran a few feet towards his right and stopped in front of a suit of armor.

"Muggle borns are the future." He whispered.

The suit of armor took its sword and tapped the stone. Salazar waited as the stone melted away, and disappeared into the shortcut just seconds before the Professors exited from the gargoyle.

* * *

An hour later, Salazar was still sitting in that very same shortcut. His head had finally stopped pounding, but it did still hurt a bit. He knew it was late and past dinner, but he didn't care. He also knew that he should not have lost control like that. Severus had warned him how Dumbledore thought about his life at the Dursleys, but seeing it firsthand and with Dumbledore acting so nonchalant about it, sent him into the rage.

_Children are one of the most precious beings on the planet, and for the Headmaster of a school to dismiss a seemingly child's claim is just deplorable. It should have been investigated vigorously, and Albus should not have taken the named abusers word so faithfully. Of course the Dursleys would deny it!_ He ranted to himself.

_"Speaker, are you alright? We have been sitting in the dark for a very long time."_

_"Yes Nora, I am fine now. I just needed to get away from Albus. I shudder to think at how many real children have suffered because he refuses to believe that family can hurt one another."_

_"He should be dismissed."_

_"No, I'm afraid I may have to disagree with you. Albus has many faults, but as long as he is at Hogwarts, the school remains safe from an outright attack by Voldemort."_

_"But isn't Morty coming to get the stone?" _Nora asked curiously.

_"Himself?"_

_"Yes."_

Salazar sighed and shook his head. _"No, I believe that he would have a follower do it for him. Doing it himself doesn't seem to be his style. Besides, he doesn't have a body and wouldn't be able to touch the stone, much less use it."_

_"I understand."_ She hissed. _"So we should be looking for a follower then?"_

He nodded. _"Yes, and I think we should keep an eye on Quirrell. My scar hurts too much when I am around him. I am convinced it's not a coincidence."_

_"And your scar involves Morty, right?"_

_"That is correct."_

_"Speaker, I am hungry. You must feed me, or I will bite someone and eat them."_

Salazar laughed and patted her head. _"Alright my dear. We shall see what the elves in the kitchen can give us." _He said, then stood up and began to make the short trek to the kitchen.

They only had an hour until curfew, so this would have to be a quick meal.


	7. Reactions

**Chapter 7**

**Reactions**

A few days after the confrontation with Harry Potter, Lucius Malfoy was still pacing around his study. He didn't like how that meeting went at all. How could he have let an eleven year old child get the best of him like that? He was furious at himself, furious at Draco, and even more furious at Potter and Dumbledore.

However, there was something about the boy, something he didn't like to think about. The body posture, the coldness of the eyes, the tone of the voice, and the Parseltongue.

Lucius shivered.

_It couldn't be, could it? _He thought.

Even he knew it was possible that the Dark Lord wasn't dead. He wasn't stupid. The Dark Mark was inactive, not _gone_.

_Could the boy actually _be _the Dark Lord?_ He asked himself, and the thought made him stop in his tracks in front of the fireplace.

He didn't know if it was even possible, but then again…the voice, eyes, posture, and Parseltongue.

Lucius shivered again.

"Narcissa!" He shouted, turning and running out of the study and into the library, where he knew she'd be reading. "Narcissa!"

"What is it Lucius?" She asked, placing the book onto the table beside her. "You look ashen. What is wrong?"

"The boy." He said, looking frantic. "I think the Potter boy _is_ the Dark Lord."

She stared at him with wide eyes. "Surely you don't think…"

"I don't know how it would be possible, but it _is_ the Dark Lord we are talking about. He is _very _powerful and capable of anything."

She gasped and searched her husband's face frantically. "Draco has been antagonizing the Dark Lord." It was not a question, but a statement. She too had caught the similarities, but had been afraid to voice them out loud. "Are we in danger Lucius? Has Draco angered him?"

"I think _I _have angered him more than Draco. Surely Draco antagonizing him hasn't helped though." Lucius said, nervously running a hand through his long blond hair. "You heard what the Potter boy said. 'I don't think he would be very happy with you. I know I wouldn't'. The Potter boy said that!" He exclaimed.

"We need to warn Draco." Narcissa said, placing a hand on Lucius's arm to calm him. "Talk to Severus, and tell Draco not to irritate Potter. However, DO NOT tell Draco that we think Potter is the Dark Lord. _If _we are wrong, we don't want to anger the real one. Understand?"

"That is very wise thinking my dear. Excellent suggestion." Lucius said, kissing his wife lightly on her cheek. "I will return, and I'll let you know what Severus says."

Narcissa nodded, and watched as Lucius flooed to Hogwarts.

* * *

Draco had already left the Potion Master's office, and Severus watched as Lucius flooed back to Malfoy Manor before he let loose with loud and boisterous laughter.

It was rather uncharacteristic for him, but it felt good.

Once he calmed down, but still grinning like a school boy, he made his way over to one of the cupboards he used for spare potion phials, and poured himself a drink. He really couldn't fault Lucius though. After all, if Severus didn't know the truth, he would be thinking the exact same thing.

He sat down in his desk chair, swirled the amber liquid in his glass, and pondered about how much his life had changed in the last few weeks. It felt like a giant weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He felt lighthearted and free, and it all started when he realized Lily was alive.

Severus closed his eyes and remembered the memory Salazar had shown him that day. Lily was sitting on a black leather couch, in what seemed to be a study, with Potter right beside her and Salazar sitting across from them. She looked older, but still as pretty as ever. Her hair was still just as red, and her eyes were still the vibrant green he loved. She was crying though. Crying over him. Crying over Severus.

_"I feel it's all my fault." Lily said through her tears. "If I had forgiven Severus for calling me a mudblood, he would have never joined Voldemort. It's my fault he turned out like that."_

_"I know he was your best friend Lily, but you can't blame yourself for his choices."_

_"I understand that James, but I still feel somewhat responsible for it." Then she looked at Salazar with pleading eyes. "Salazar, promise me something."_

_"What is it Lily?" Salazar asked gently._

_"Promise me that if Severus has changed, that if he opposes Voldemort and regrets being a Death Eater, promise me that you will take him under your wing. Trust him. James is right. Severus is the reason Voldemort asked me to step aside. I know it in my heart. Please Salazar, I know how you feel about Death Eaters, but please, put aside that anger for him. I know deep down in my heart that Severus is a good man."_

_James Potter nodded in agreement. "Sirius and I gave him hell, and I feel that it is partly our fault too. I judged him too quickly. Even as young as we were, I loved Lily the moment I set eyes on her, and I was jealous because of their friendship. I should not have tormented Snape, and I regret that I did. If Lily knows in her heart that he is a good man, then I believe her."_

_Salazar nodded. "I will take it under advisement."_

_"Thank you Salazar." Lily said with a hopeful bright smile. "I love him. He was my best friend, and if he regrets his decisions, please tell him I forgive him."_

Snape's eyes opened at that moment, and the words floated around in his head.

_She loves me. _He thought. _If only as a friend, but she loves and forgives me. I heard it in her voice, and seen it in her eyes. Forgiveness and love._

He smiled and nodded to himself. He, as ludicrous as it sounds, even forgave James Potter that day. James had apologized, vouched on Snape's behalf, and agreed with Lily. Both of them sent Salazar to him, and he certainly wasn't angry over that. How could he be?

To all those who have been sorted into Slytherin House, Salazar Slytherin was a man to be admired and respected. It was widely believed that Salazar was ruthless, cunning, cold, stern, and uncaring. Most in Slytherin mimicked that perceived image, and Severus was one of them. He had molded his own ruthless, cunning, stern, cold, and uncaring behavior after him, but he was quickly realizing that that perceived image was far from the truth.

Salazar was not a god, that much he knew. The man was not perfect. He had his fair share of sorrows and regrets, and had made many mistakes in his life. Salazar had admitted to him that immortality was his greatest mistake and regret. When Snape had asked why, he saw the pain in Salazar's eyes, but the man had sighed and told him.

_"I regret my immortality because that was the final straw. For years Godric and I had bickered over muggle borns, muggles, and dark magic, but we always got past that. I understood his views and he understood mine. We butted heads from time to time, but it was not what drove us apart. What drove us apart was my quest for immortality. He told me it was too dark, and that he could not condone it. I argued and said living for ever would be wonderful. We could see the world change before our eyes. Watch as each new generation of witches and wizards came through the doors of Hogwarts, and learned all they could. I even tried to entice him by saying that one day we could live side by side with the muggles in peace. Just like in Merlin's early years. He didn't fall for it. I wanted my best friend to take this journey with me. We were brothers, best friends, war buddies even. He had my back, I had his, and there was no question about it. But he refused. He said he couldn't bring himself to meddle with that kind of dark magic. It was unnatural. He was fine with the subtler dark magic such as potions and blood magic, but not immortality. I never understood why. He told me I'd regret it. I told him I wouldn't. He tried, for all he was worth, he tried to get me to see his reasons. All I saw was my best friend abandoning me. I was a stubborn fool, and I left that night. Helga and Rowena were devastated, but Godric took it the worst. He was never the same after that, or so I was later told. They said he was lost, and so he threw himself into Hogwarts to take his mind off my absence. It worked for a time, but in the end he died angry. Angry at me. I last saw him at his funeral. It was held in these very walls, and I haven't been back to Hogwarts since, until now. My greatest regret and mistake is immortality because I lost my best friend over it. I hurt the ones I loved, and I watched them die. My wife had died in childbirth years before, and my children were grown with families of their own. They weren't interested in immortality, but I promised that I would watch over our family line, and I wish I hadn't because of what it has become. The world is not what I had hoped. It is worse, much worse. All I have is memories, and because I can never die, I can never tell Godric I'm sorry. I can never tell him he was right. I will never be able to hear him say, I told you so."_

That night, Severus had learned that even THE Slytherin, the original and most cunning of them all, had made mistakes and had regrets. Just like Severus did. Salazar also told him that you can't let your mistakes and regrets run your life. Hold on to the regrets and remember your mistakes so that you _learn _from them, but _don't_ let them run your life.

Salazar had told him that in many ways Severus was even more fortunate than himself. At least Severus could hear Lily tell him that she loves and forgives him, and that is why Severus's life had changed. That is why he can now forgive. He no longer had the desire to hold a grudge. He no longer had a reason to despair.

It is also why he could now laugh.

Severus smiled and sipped his whiskey as he remembered the shortcut incident. He didn't even know if Voldemort himself could have pulled that off _and _seem innocent in the process. If he didn't know any better, he would think it had been an accident for Salazar to disappear through that painting.

Also in Dumbledore's office with the Malfoys. Severus himself had been shocked at what Salazar said, but it's how he said it, and how he pulled it off that had left him in awe. Salazar had come out of nowhere with his words, and left Lucius thoroughly speechless at the verbal lashing he had received. The man was truly cunning, and Snape knew he had a lot to learn from him.

And learning from his mistakes, regrets, and his new mentor, is what he was going to do.

* * *

_My Old Friend,_

_I am happy to inform you that the person I mentioned in my last letter has agreed to help us. They tell me that your property is here, and will be guarded by several traps. Some of these traps are already in place, but some are still being worked on, so your property is not in place just yet. What exactly those traps are though, he does not know. However, we do know of two. One he placed himself, and one that I found out about. _

_Speaking of the traps, you won't believe the one I found out about! Two STUDENTS found it, who told ANOTHER student, and the tale was overheard by ANOTHER TWO students, who told me! I am OUTRAGED that this 'trap' was placed in a school full of CHILDREN! I will go into detail later, but suffice to say, your other friend is lucky I haven't hexed him!_

_It doesn't matter about the traps though, because I have a way to retrieve your property easily without risking life and limb to get it. I also plan to make the trap that was told to me a little less accessible by CHILDREN that could be EATEN by it! As soon as my friend lets me know that your property is in place, I will get it and put it where it will be safe._

_Also, I have a lead on what our mutual enemy is doing. I am watching a person who I think is a follower._

_Oh, and I am sorry for all the shouting. Please forgive me. _

_Your Old Friend,_

_Me_

With shaking hands, Nicholas placed the letter on his dinning room table, after reading it out loud to his wife.

Perenelle had her face buried in her hands and was shaking her head. "Children could be eaten!?" She moaned. "Oh Nicholas, we should have never…"

"I know my darling, I know. But I have full confidence that Salazar will make sure that the children are safe. As well as getting the stone and putting it in his flat. My confidence in Albus however, is now shaky at best. What in the world has possessed him to put the children in danger of being eaten?" He asked in disbelief. "My stone is not worth that."

"Well, I know I won't breathe easy until this mess is over." She said with a dignified huff.

Nicholas nodded his head. "I agree my dear, I agree."

* * *

It had nearly been a week since Harry blew up his office with accidental magic, but Albus sighed as he watched the young man sitting at the end of the Slytherin table that was closest to the head table. He was reading a book and eating breakfast just like every morning.

Albus sighed again and studied the boy. The other Slytherins were still ignoring him. No one wanted to sit near Harry because of Nora, and because Harry had the ability to talk to her. There were at least four seats between him and the next person, but no one dared to sit in front of him because the little black snake always sat in front of his plate. He noticed that the other Slytherins always looked at Harry with either fearful looks or hateful ones, and Albus didn't like that. Worse than that though, was how Harry reacted to it. It seemed that Harry didn't care, and actually preferred it that way.

It seemed that Harry liked not having any friends.

Sure the Longbottom boy and the Granger girl were friendly with him, but they weren't really friends. Harry taught them things, and was also friendly with them, but he didn't get to close to them. They mostly studied together, and asked him for help from time to time. They would sit with Harry every so often and play with Nora and talk a little, but never for long because of the hostile glares they received from the other Slytherins, and Harry had only sat at the Gryffindor table that one time. Albus didn't like that either. Harry needed friends that he could trust and rely on. No child should be without friends, especially Harry.

Albus also didn't like the fact that Harry was a Slytherin. He should be in Gryffindor just like his parents had been. He should not be in a house that was full of dark families that could influence his young mind. Albus was already unnerved by the fact that the boy had read about the Unforgivables and wondered what other kinds of dark magic he had read about. Albus could not allow anymore of that sort of thing to happen.

Albus however, couldn't deny the fact that the boy was cunning. The verbal lashing that he gave Lucius Malfoy was testament to that, and Albus was still shocked by the boy's words, actions, and down right coldness. It made Albus shiver because it reminded him of another boy that walked the halls of Hogwarts almost fifty years ago. Tom Riddle had also talked about power, and having knowledge that would give him an advantage over his enemies. Harry shouldn't be having these same thoughts. He was an eleven year old boy! He shouldn't be having such thoughts because he was too young!

_What could have caused Harry to be this way?_ He wondered, as he continued to study the boy. _Was it from the abuse he had to endure from his family?_

Even Albus couldn't deny the fact the boy had been abused. He saw it with his own eyes that night. He knew that the boy would have a hard life with Petunia and Vernon, but it was the safest place for Harry to go, and unfortunately it still is. Even if it meant that Harry would still be abused, Harry still needed to go live with his family in the summer.

He tried to explain it to Minerva, but she wouldn't hear of it. She was furious, and let Albus have an earful. She wouldn't let it go, so he finally had to obliviate the poor woman's knowledge of the abuse. It had been for the 'Greater Good'. He knew Severus wouldn't care about that the boy had been abused, so he did not have to obliviate him, and as for Quirrell, well….

Albus was worried though, worried that he had already lost Harry to the Dark. However, he would soon know for sure. He looked down the length of the head table and glanced at Quirrell, and his eyes flickered to the man's turban. Yes, Albus would know if Harry was light or dark by the end of the year.

* * *

Quirrell, nor his companion for that matter, saw Albus looking at them because they were also studying the boy. Voldemort was quite intrigued with Harry, and dare he admit, amused as well. The child had trumped Lucius that night _and_ blown up Dumbledore's office.

Voldemort chuckled at the memory. If the old fool wasn't careful, he would lose his precious Potter. The boy was not stupid, even the Dark Lord had to admit that. Harry deserved to be in Slytherin with his cunning, talk of power, and his clear ambition to deal with his enemies.

_But does Potter consider me an enemy? _Voldemort wondered. _Surely he does, but yet he didn't outright deny it when Albus asked how he felt about me._

It was no matter though. Voldemort would just keep a close eye on the boy and figure out what to do about him later. Right now he had to concentrate on getting the stone.

He was certain that Albus didn't know he was actually here himself, possessing the incompetent stuttering fool Quirrell. He would know if Albus suspected, because Albus wouldn't let him be this close to the Potter boy if he did.

So for now, he was fairly comfortable where he was and would be patient, until it was the right time to strike.

* * *

Draco glared at Harry and wondered what was so special about him. His father had told him not to antagonize him, but really hadn't said why.

_Stupid Potter._ He thought as he glared at him. _It's like they think he is the bloody Dark Lord or something._

Draco didn't care. He was angry at Potter for calling him, and his father, Gryffindors and he swore revenge. He didn't care what his father said, he was going to get back at Potter.

* * *

Salazar sat at the breakfast table eating his omelet and drinking his milk, completely oblivious of the fact that he was being watched so closely. He had decided to catch up on his Herbology reading this morning, and try to find away to 'dumb down' his essay that he had to write for it. It was rather hard, and irritating, having to write like he was an eleven year old, but that is what he had to do.

Nora was, as always, sitting in front of his plate, but this morning she seemed to be restless over something because she was slithering back and forth across the table.

He lowered the book slightly and looked at her. _"Nora, are you alright?" _He asked.

_"Speaker, where is Pigeon?" _She asked, stopping briefly to look at him. It seemed that she had been waiting for him to notice her distress.

_"She is still out delivering the letter I told you about. I suspect she won't be back for a few more days. Why? Are you worried about her?"_

_"Of course not." _She said with a huff. _"It's been rather quiet without that haughty feather duster coming in here every morning to steal your breakfast."_

_"I see." _Salazar said with a slight chuckle, and went back to reading his Herbology book.

A few minutes passed, and Nora continued to slither back and forth in front of him. After another minute or so however, her head popped up over the top of the book and she peered at him with concern in her eyes.

_"Speaker, do you think Pigeon is alright?"_

Salazar suppressed a chuckle, but he couldn't stop the grin from breaking out on his face.

_"Yes my dear, I do think Hedwig is alright. She is a smart owl. She will be back soon."_

_"Alright." _Nora said a sigh.

A few moments later the owls arrived to deliver the morning mail. Both of them looked up to see if Hedwig had returned, but when there was no snowy white owl to be seen, Nora sighed again and continued her 'pacing'.

However just as Nora began to ask another question, an old brown barn owl literally fell out of the air and almost landed on her. She began hissing angrily, but the owl paid her no mind as it rolled over and hopped up, sending a plate of toast crashing to the floor as it did so.

It dropped the red envelope it was carrying, and immediately took off again. Salazar stared at the letter confused, but Nora started hissing at it.

_"Speaker, that letter is moving! Are you in danger? Shall I bite it?"_

_"No Nora, it's just a howler."_ He said, as he reached out to open it.

_"What is a howl…?"_

**"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" **The howler bellowed in a shrieking woman's voice.

_"It's a Banshee!"_ Nora cried when the howler paused for a moment, and she dived under Salazar's Herbology book to try and get away from the noise.

**"How DARE you tell that bloody snake of yours to attack my son! My boy Ron Weasley is a good boy, and if I find out you or your snake have attacked him again, you won't like the CONCEQUENSES! I knew your mother Lily, and she would be ashamed to know that her son…"**

Salazar had had enough of the woman's rude and obtrusive screaming, and stood up. He calmly pulled his wand out and began waving it around the howler. The air around it became frigid and the howler began to freeze solid. The screaming stopped, but the heat from the vibrating howler was causing it to melt, so he surrounded the thing in a small block of ice and it fell to the table with a loud _clunk_. Then he levitated it, and forcefully sent it flying into the solid stone wall in the back of the great hall, where it exploded into a thousand pieces in one of the corners.

The entire hall was dead silent and staring at him, but Salazar ignored them and looked over at the Gryffindor table. Ron was red in the face and scowling at him, but his brothers were looking at him in awe with their mouths hanging open, before they turned and grinned at each other. Salazar just raised an eyebrow at Ron before smoothing out his robes, and calmly sitting back down.

"Ten p-p-points to Slytherin M-Mr. P-P-Potter!" Quirrell called out loudly. "E-Excellent work!"

"Thank you Professor!" Salazar replied, slightly nodding his head in acknowledgement, and Quirrell chuckled.

Snape half smirked, half scowled in his direction, McGonagall stared at him wide-eyed, but Dumbledore just shook his head and looked at him. Salazar ignored Albus, just like he had been doing for the last few days.

_"Speaker, you silenced the Banshee."_

_"Yes I did. It was rather rude and I didn't appreciate it. I could have disposed of the howler without the pomp and flare, but I wanted to prove a point."_

_"I think you made a very good point. You made the Banshee explode. Does the Carrot belong to the Banshee? He looks angry." _She asked.

Salazar nodded. _"Yes, he does."_

_"I will bite them." _She said in a huff, as she glared over in Ron's direction.

Salazar just laughed and kept on reading his Herbology book. He couldn't be bothered about the howler. He had to concentrate on impersonating an eleven year old, and it was getting harder and harder to do that with each passing day.


	8. Maps, Griffins, & Conclusions

***A/N* I forgot to mention this last chapter, but thank you to sunsethill for referring to Salazar as THE Slytherin in one of their reviews. I liked that so i used it in the last chapter! Thank you so much! Also to Moi, i cant thank you directly through PM so i'll do it here, thank you so much for your in depth reviews. They mean so much to me! All of you who have reviewed do! I take each review to heart, and they all make me smile! So thank you to everyone!**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Maps, Griffins, and Conclusions**

"Quiet! The others will hear you."

"No they won't. I spelled the curtains closed, and placed a silencing charm around them. All we need to do is find out which Professors are on patrol tonight."

"Fine, fine. Bloody hell! Look at that! Salazar Slytherin just appeared on the first floor!"

"Salazar Slytherin!? Where do you think he's going?"

"I have no clue…wait! He just disappeared!"

"There! Third floor. I bet he's going after that dog!"

"Why?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"It was a rhetorical question."

"Maybe he is going to kill that dog."

"Would you be sad?"

"No! That thing was scary!"

"Why is Salazar Slytherin slinking around the castle after curfew, going after a three headed dog, and not dead like he is supposed to be?"

"I have no idea. He's just standing there!"

"Maybe he is in shock. I know we were."

"Nope! There he goes. Maybe he is running away now. Oooh, he is going to run into Filch!"

"Nope! It looks like Filch walked right by him! How did Filch not see him!?"

"I don't know. I wonder what he is doing. He is just standing there outside the door to the third floor."

"I don't know, but Filch is long gone now."

"He's on the move, and he just disappeared again!"

"Think he's retracing his steps."

"Let's see where he goes. Maybe we can solve this mystery."

"Ok, first floor again. Yeah I think he's retracing…he's disappeared again!"

"The dungeons! Look!"

"Well where else would the Founder of Slytherin House go? The dungeons make sense."

"Slytherin common room?"

"Why would he go in common room? Those people sitting in there will see him."

"Well he just walked in there, and he's heading to the dorms!"

"He's going into the first year dorms! Look! Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, and Zabini are all in there."

"Where's Potter?"

"I don't know."

There was a moment of silence, and the twins looked at each other.

"Bloody hell!" They cried.

* * *

_"Speaker, did you accomplish your mission?"_

_"Yes my dear, I did. The Cerberus is now in a deep hibernation sleep, and I warded the door with strong spells. Albus can still get in, as well as any other adult, but no child will be able too." _Salazar said, as he canceled the disillusionment charm that he had placed on himself.

_"Good. Now I can get some sleep without worrying about you gallivanting around the castle, and getting eaten by vicious beasts."_ She grumbled sleepily.

Salazar smiled to himself, as he patted her head. _Albus is in for a shock when he finds out what I have left for him._ He thought to himself.

* * *

It was the next morning and Salazar was sitting in his usual place at the Slytherin table. It had been nearly two weeks since the howler incident, but thankfully Ron had kept his distance. His brothers though, were a different story. They had cornered him later that day, and begged him to show them how he got rid of the howler, because they knew for a fact that their mother placed all kinds of charms on them. She had apparently learned that one their older brothers had been destroying the howlers she sent him. Salazar chuckled, and since the twins told him that they get at least one howler a month from her, he showed them, and they had been grateful for his help. Today though, he smiled and waved at them, and they became wide-eyed at the sight of him, and nearly ran away. He didn't know what to think about that.

Hedwig had returned a few days ago, and Nora finally stopped pacing and worrying over her, though she tried not to let it show that she had been. Hedwig had brought back a letter from Lily and James, and James was adamant that Sirius could not have murdered the muggles, and he asked Salazar to somehow look into it. He did say however, that Sirius quite possibly could have murdered Peter.

About halfway through breakfast though, a very frantic gamekeeper came bursting into the great hall, huffing and puffing loudly.

"Professor Dumbledore sir! Professor Dumbledore! Fluffy is sleeping and won't wake up!" He cried. "The door was locked up tight, but I need to feed him! Poor Fluffy! He won't wake up!"

Salazar stared at the gamekeeper carrying on in such a fashion, and began to wonder why the man was worried. He should be able to figure out that the dog was only in a hibernation sleep, but everyone's attention was suddenly diverted when Peeves came flying into the room.

"Oooh! Is poor Fluffy dead!?" The poltergeist cackled. "Fluffy is dead, Fluffy is dead!" He sang, and it only made Hagrid cry harder.

"HE'S NOT DEAD! HE'S SLEEPING!" Hagrid roared. "GO AWAY!"

"Fluffy is dead, Fluffy is dead!" Peeves cackled, as he began throwing toast at Hagrid.

Dumbledore tried to get Peeves to be quiet and stop him from assaulting Hagrid, but he wasn't listening to the Headmaster like he normally did. Peeves was apparently having too much fun at Hagrid's expense to stop. After a few more minutes of this display, Salazar finally had enough and stood up.

"PEEVES!" He yelled.

Peeves suddenly halted his attack on Hagrid and turned his attention to Salazar, who was glaring at him.

"Lord Slytheryness." Peeves said in a sickly sweet voice and with a mocking bow.

"Enough." He said simply.

Peeves was about to say something rude, but stopped and changed his mind when the Bloody Baron suddenly materialized right beside Salazar. They both gave the poltergeist stern glares, and Salazar drew his wand and pointed it at him. That action caused Peeves to immediately drop the toast.

"Don't banish Peeves! Don't banish Peeves!" He screamed as he flew straight out of the hall.

Salazar smirked at the retreating poltergeist, stowed his wand, and turned to Baron and bowed. "Thank you for your help sir."

"You're welcome Mr. Potter." He said with a smile, and also bowed before disappearing.

The great hall was silent, but Hagrid's sobs could still be heard. "T-Th-Thank you Harry." He said through his sniffles. "I don't like that awful ghost."

Salazar nodded and smiled before he sat down again. Dumbledore seemed to study him for a moment, but then he turned to Hagrid.

"Come Hagrid, let us see what is wrong with Fluffy. Professor Snape, Professor Quirrell, please follow me."

Both Quirrell and Severus looked up startled, but they got up and followed Dumbledore. Salazar pretended to pay them no attention, but he caught Snape's curious looks as they left.

* * *

"Potter is always showing off." Snape spat, as they made their way to the third floor. "First a howler and now he thinks he can control the bloody poltergeist. He's lucky I don't take points from Slytherin if at all possible, but I think a good detention for showing off ought to bring his _ego_ down a notch."

"Now Severus, you know as well as anyone that Peeves is not scared of any student. I'm sure the Bloody Baron had more to do with it than Harry did." Dumbledore said.

"I'm thankful that Harry distracted Peeves." Hagrid said, and they all missed the eye roll from Quirrell. "The Bloody Baron seems to have taken a liking to him."

"That's not unusual." Snape growled. "The Baron will take the side of any Slytherin. It's well known."

"Oh." Hagrid said quietly as they reached the third floor. "Poor Fluffy!" He cried as he caught sight of the dog again.

Quirrell let out a yelp and hung around the doors, but the others went to investigate Fluffy.

"Hagrid, are you aware that a note is tied to his collar?" Snape asked as Dumbledore began waving his wand over the dog.

"N-No. All I know is that he won't wake up!" He sobbed.

Snape sighed and snatched the letter off the collar, then began reading it out loud.

_To Whom It May Concern,_

_I don't know whose brilliant idea it was to leave a vicious Cerberus locked up in a school full of CHILDREN, but they should be ashamed of themselves. Nothing is worth the life of a child. NOTHING! Not to mention that it was placed behind a SIMPLE LOCKED DOOR THAT A FIRST YEAR CAN GET THROUGH! So I solved that problem too. No child will be able to get through those wards, I promise you._

_Sincerely,_

_Someone who actually cares about the students AND Hogwarts_

Snape couldn't stop the outright snort that escaped, and Dumbledore glared at him over his half-moon spectacles because of it. Hagrid was still crying over Fluffy and Quirrell looked amused.

"F-Fluffy isn't vicious." Hagrid sniffed. "He's only a baby!"

"Hagrid it's alright." Dumbledore said gently. "Whoever did this only put Fluffy in a deep hibernation sleep. He won't die, and he won't need to eat. He will be just fine. However this does pose a problem. The only one who can wake Fluffy up is the one who cast it, so we will have to find something else to replace him."

"I know what we can use." Hagrid sniffed as he wiped his eyes. "We can use the Griffin. He's real gentle and won't hurt anyone."

Snape stared at the man with wide eyes, as if he couldn't believe Hagrid had just said that, and Quirrell just shook his head and let out a strangled cry.

"I think the Griffin will work nicely." Dumbledore said with a smile.

"I-I-I agree." Quirrell said. "E-Especially s-s-since the door is now well w-warded."

"Yes, well warded." Dumbledore mumbled. _And that will have to be changed._ He thought.

* * *

It wasn't until later that day in Transfiguration that Salazar realized that there were many more students that also knew about Fluffy. He had overheard some of the Ravenclaws whispering about the three headed dog, and nearly broke his quill in half because he was so angry.

_How in the world could Albus condone that beast to be inside the castle? I understand the trap door needs to be guarded, but there are many spells that can do the job just as good. Why doesn't he use them?_

"Mr. Potter, did you hear me?"

Salazar jerked out of his thoughts and looked up. "I'm so sorry Professor, I was lost in thought. I didn't hear you."

She looked at him sternly. "Five points from Slytherin for not paying attention. I asked you to do your demonstration of a switching spell for me."

"Oh, of course Professor. I'm sorry." He replied, and switched the front cover of his textbook into a lily pad.

"Very good Mr. Potter, and now switch it back." She said, and he did. "Excellent. Full marks for today Mr. Potter, and you are exempt from the essay."

Salazar gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you."

She smiled back and nodded at him before moving onto Crabbe who was one desk over. "Mr. Crabbe, half of the class has already moved on to switching spells, and the rest have at least managed to turn the match silver with a dull point. You however, have not managed even managed to change the color. I want a twelve inch essay on the theory behind this spell."

Crabbe groaned, but then nodded, and glared at her when she turned her attention to Goyle. She gave Goyle the same essay to write, because he also had not managed to make a difference in his match. Draco had progressed better than they had, but his match was still dull and there was no eye for the needle. Nott's was about the same as Draco's, and she gave them both five inch essays to write. Then she moved onto Blaise.

"Very good Mr. Zabini, now all you need to do is make your needle pointier, and then demonstrate it for me several times with fresh matches. That way I know that you have a firm grasp of the spell. Then you can move on."

"Yes ma'am."

Salazar was only half listening to her, but shook his head. _That just proves another point Godric tried to make to me. Blood purity has nothing to do with magical talent. Hermione is proof of that. Godric was right…again. _He thought.

He sighed, took out a library book, and began reading it. It was a 5th year O.W.L. level Transfiguration book, but he figured that if he was seen reading such material that he could get away with some of the things he could do a little easier. Freezing the howler in the manner in which he had was actually considered 6th year level, and he had used the excuse that he had 'read about it in a book'. Thankfully most people had bought the excuse, but he needed to be more careful in the future.

_"Speaker, that boy keeps staring at you."_

_"What boy?" _He asked, looking up from his book.

_"That Zabby boy."_

Salazar glanced over his shoulder and saw that Blaise was, indeed, looking at him. Blaise sighed, shook his head, and glanced back down at his match. He tried several more times to get his needle pointier, but then he looked back up at Salazar.

"Do you want some help?" Salazar asked.

Blaise nervously glanced at Draco, who was now scowling in his direction, but Blaise furrowed his brow and glared at him. Then he turned to Salazar.

"Yeah, if you don't mind."

Salazar smiled, got up and sat in the empty seat next to him. He studied Blaise's needle and nodded.

"You have a firm grasp of the theory, but I don't think you have the determination to complete it."

"What do you mean?" Blaise asked in confusion.

"Let me ask you something. What is the strongest jinx that you can cast successfully?"

"Umm…the leg locker jinx."

"Ok, so when you cast that jinx at someone, you really, really want that person's legs to lock up, right?"

"Yeah." Blaise said.

Salazar smiled. "So you have the _determination _to cast that jinx successfully, right?"

Blaise's eyes lit up. "I think I get it now."

"Theory is good, because you have to understand what you are doing, but determination, concentration, and intent play a big part in the practical application. You have to _want_ it. So try again." Salazar said, motioning toward the needle.

Blaise took a deep breath, stared at his needle for several seconds, and then said the incantation. He smiled and held his perfect needle up for inspection.

"Good job." Salazar said with a smile, and then he raised his hand.

"Yes Mr. Potter?"

"Can we have some extra matches so that Blaise can practice on some fresh ones before showing you?"

She smiled at them. "Of course. They are on my desk."

Salazar got up and grabbed some, then hurried back to Blaise so that he could practice. After a few tries, he was able to get the first one down, then he was able to get the rest with no problems. Salazar moved back to his desk, and watched as Blaise demonstrated the spell for McGonagall. After she had him change three matches into needles, she finally advanced him to the switching spells. Salazar smiled them, turned around, and continued to read his book.

"Hey Potter."

"Yes?" He asked turning to look at Blaise.

"Thanks."

He nodded. "You're welcome. If you want my help, just ask. I'll be happy to do what I can."

"I will." Blaise said with a small smile, and then began reading about the switching spells.

_"Speaker, is that Zabby boy our friend like Bushy and Bottom are?"_

_"I don't know. Time will tell."_

_"Alright then. I won't bite him."_

Salazar laughed. "_You and your need to bite people."_

_"It is always good to remind people that I am the deadliest snake in the world. I consider it a valid threat."_

_"Ah, I see."_

_"I will bite you too, if you forget that." _She said with a small gleam in her eyes.

Salazar laughed again. _"Then I won't forget."_

_"Good, because then I won't have anyone to talk to too, except maybe Pigeon, and I don't even like her." _She said, as she coiled up on the desk to take a nap.

Salazar just chuckled and patted her head. _"If you say so my dear."_

* * *

"A GRIFFIN!?" Salazar yelled.

"I'm afraid so sir." Severus replied.

Snape had found Salazar in the common room that evening and said that the Headmaster wanted to see him, but that was a ploy to get Salazar alone to tell him what happened earlier that morning. Salazar was obviously none too happy about the new 'guard' for the trapdoor.

"They plan to move 'Fluffy' out tonight, and bring the Griffin in." He said with a roll of his eyes.

"Well, at least my wards will be in place. Half the school knows about that blasted Cerberus. Apparently other students have 'gotten curious' and went to investigate. It's only by Merlin's good graces that no one has been mauled or eaten by the thing. No one is missing are they?" Salazar asked sarcastically.

Snape shook his head and sighed. "No they aren't, but about your wards, I think Albus is going to take them down. I've seen that look on his face before, and I don't think he was none too pleased with the suggestions in your note."

"If he takes down that ward, I promise you that he won't like what I do next. As for the note, well I was going to sign it 'Sincerely, Not a Bloody Gryffindor' but I thought that would have been too petty and obvious."

Snape snorted. "It would have been funny though."

"Yes, it would have. Especially to see the look on Albus's face." Salazar said with a grin, but then he sighed. "Nicholas is not going to like this. How much longer until the stone is in place?"

"I'm not sure, but I think it will be in place shortly after Christmas."

"Christmas? Half the school year would be over by then. Why not just leave it where it is, and return it to Nicholas at the end of the year?"

"I don't know." Snape said shaking his head.

"I'm beginning to think Albus has an ulterior motive for all this." Salazar said thoughtfully. "But what it is, I don't know. Why did Albus tell Quirrell to follow you all this morning?"

"I don't know that either. Quirrell had no reason to be there and he just hung around the door."

"Just like that night in his office." Salazar said, shaking his head. Then he looked at Snape sharply. "Do you think Albus knows that Quirrell is working for Voldemort?"

Snape stared at him. "I-I don't…I don't know. Why would he let Quirrell know about the stone? Why would Albus ask for his help in protecting it? Not all of the Professors know that it's here. Just those of us protecting it."

"Nicholas told me that Albus convinced him that Voldemort was on the move, and was actively seeking a way to regain a corporal body. This I believe. What I don't believe is Voldemort's sudden interest in the stone. Why now? Why not five years ago, or ten years ago for that matter. Why now? The stone has always resided with Nicholas, and was never in danger. Voldemort would not have been able to get it, if it still resided with Nicholas. The stone is well known, so it has _always_ been well protected. I know this because I invented the spells that protected it." Salazar said.

"I know that Albus placed the stone in Gringotts when it was given to him. I also know that he sent Hagrid to get it. _On that same day_, a break in was attempted, and it failed. The same vault that the stone had been in, was the one that was broken into. Hagrid said he saw Quirrell in Diagon Alley that day, because he was sent there to look for you and get the stone and bring it back to Hogwarts. Quirrell was supposed to be in Hogsmeade searching for you, and nowhere near Diagon Alley." Snape said, and suddenly the pieces started to fall into place for Salazar.

He got up and started to pace around the room. "Albus knows. It's the only explanation. Albus knows that Quirrell is working for Voldemort. You said yourself that Albus knew that Voldemort was in Albania. I'll bet all my galleons that Albus 'let slip' in front of the wrong person, probably Quirrell, that the stone was coming here, and Quirrell went to go find Voldemort to tell him. Voldemort would know about the stones existence and he would be tempted to come for it. This is a trap." Salazar said suddenly, and looked over at Snape. "This is a trap for Voldemort. Albus wants to draw him out."

"In the same year that Harry Potter comes to Hogwarts." Snape said suddenly, as if the thought had just dawned on him.

Salazar stared at him. "You don't think…"

"That he wants to force a confrontation? Yes I do. Albus has talked about nothing but you for the last six months. Harry this…Harry that…How powerful is he…yada, yada, yada."

"THAT BLOODY GRYFFINDOR!" Salazar shouted, and blew up several empty cauldrons that Snape had stacked up in the corner of his office. "How DARE he put an eleven year old child in this kind of danger. This is preposterous!"

Salazar sat there seething for a good ten minutes before he calmed down. He could not believe that the 'Leader of the Light' would do this. It was simply unthinkable.

"What do we do?" Snape asked.

"Well, I'm not going to play Albus's game. That's for sure. I don't know exactly what I will do yet, but I'll think of something. I do want to let Lily and James know what is going on though, as well as Nicholas. Oh, he is going to be angry. I am seriously glad that I am not Albus Dumbledore right now." Salazar said with a small chuckle. "But I want to be a snake in the grass when Nicholas gets a hold of him. That will be an interesting confrontation to see."

"And in the mean time?"

"In the meantime, I will check the wards around the door to the third floor every night, and every time it can be opened with a simple unlocking charm, I will re-ward it. I can't really lock it down until the stone is in place, but once I have it, Albus is going to wish he never tangled with me, because I am going to make his life miserable."

"Can I watch?"

Salazar laughed. "You'll have a front row seat my friend."

* * *

Later that night, Salazar stood under a disillusionment charm on the landing of the third floor and watched as Hagrid, Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, and Quirrell levitated the sleeping Fluffy out. He stood there for almost twenty minutes until they came back with a very large ferocious looking griffin that clearly looked like it didn't want to be indoors.

Once they wrestled the beast inside, they closed the door and locked it. All of the Professors looked relieved that it was over, but Snape, McGonagall, and especially Quirrell looked like they didn't agree with the new 'guard'.

Albus thanked them for their help, and sent them away before turning toward the door. He studied it for a minute, then began dismantling Salazar's wards. Salazar watched as each part of the wards glowed red as they dissolved before his very eyes, and his blood boiled with anger. He absolutely could not believe what he was seeing.

"This has to be done. It's for the Greater Good." Albus said with a satisfied nod after he was finished, and then he left.

Salazar stood there for another ten minutes or so before he moved towards the door. He checked it for monitoring charms and found none, so he proceeded to re-ward the door. The door glowed with a series of blue lights as each ward was replaced and he stepped back with a scowl.

"And _that _is for the safety of the students." He said, and then he left.

None of them realized that they were being watched by a set of red heads that had been hiding behind a statue the whole time.

* * *

**"FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY! How dare you turn that cat's fur blue and make it spikey! I AM FURIOUS! Mr. Filch works hard…"**

"It's melting George!" Fred yelled, as he struggled to keep the howler frozen.

"I can't remember the spell!"

**"…to keep the castle clean! He does not need you two…"**

_"Speaker, should we help them? The Banshee is attacking them."_ Nora said as she looked up at Salazar, who was too busy laughing to reply.

"Hurry up George! It's going to…"

**"…making his life miserable! If I hear…"**

"Help! Harry! Please help us!" George cried. "I can't remember the spell for the block of ice!"

**"…that you two…"**

Salazar stopped laughing long enough to run across the room, with his wand drawn and aimed at the howler. He actually missed the howler and incased a goblet with the ice instead, but when he got closer, he was able to hit the howler.

**"…have acted out of line again…"**

"Glacies obstructionum!" Salazar cried again, and the howler fell to the table.

Fred and George let out a sigh of relief, and George levitated it and sent it flying into the back wall of the great hall where it shattered.

"There. That should…"

**"I will not be happy! I will…"**

"FRED!" George yelled over the screeching, while holding his hands over his ears. "You didn't keep the howler frozen!"

All three of them ran to the back of the room where the howler was still screaming. This time George froze the howler, and Salazar once again in cased it in the block of ice. Fred didn't even try to shatter it, he just picked it up and tossed it out of the open window behind him.

"Well that's one way to do it." Salazar said, as they watched it fall to the ground.

"Oh no. It didn't shatter!" Fred cried.

"I think the ground is too soft." George said, and then burst out laughing. "I wonder how long it's going to take for it to melt."

"A galleon says it will be during 4th period." Fred said.

"Five galleons says 5th period." Salazar said with a grin.

The twins looked at him in surprise, but then they grinned.

"You're on!" They said in unison, then they all started laughing.

Salazar was in Defense class when it melted. That was 4th period. He lost the bet.

* * *

***A/N* Major thanks to Tsume Yuki for the twins finding out about Salazar because of the map! I honestly had not thought about that, but as you can see it will be interesting. It has also caused another idea to blossom and the map will be involved with that too! Thank you so much to everyone who has F, F, & R'd! You guys are the best. I really mean it! Please keep the reviews coming, even if it's just a simple 'good chapter' or 'bad chapter' review. They help keep me motivated and make me smile! Thank you so much!**


	9. Catch Me If You Can

**Chapter 9**

**Catch Me If You Can**

"What do you think George?" Fred asked as he looked at his brother with concern.

George shook his head. "I don't know Fred. I don't know what to make of all this. They are both just standing there now."

The twins were, once again, watching the map, and for the last three weeks, they had watched a nightly dance. Salazar would wait on the third floor, somehow unseen, and would watch as Dumbledore would dismantle the wards, then he would replace them. The twins had even snuck out a few times to hide behind the statue and watch the two men. It was always the same. Dumbledore would say something about the 'Greater Good', whatever that meant, and Salazar would say, 'for the safety of the students'. That, to the twins, was pretty obvious. Especially since they knew that a griffin was now behind that door. Even they knew it was best not to tangle with a griffin.

They also knew what was going on with the door. For years they had watched their Dad tinker around in his shed with those muggle things. They had watched as he set wards and dismantled them. They knew red meant that a ward was being taken apart, and they knew that blue was putting a ward back up. The one thing they couldn't understand is, why was Dumbledore placing the students in danger, and why was Salazar Slytherin, of all people, trying to protect them?

To the twins, Salazar seemed pretty nice. He was friends with Hermione and Neville, and this shocked them because of Hermione's blood status, but he seemed to not care about that. He also had showed them the thing for the howler, and on the day he had made that bet, Salazar had paid up. Five galleons for the both of them. They had thought he would go back on his bet, and accuse them of making it melt faster like every other Slytherin would have, but he didn't. That night at dinner he had walked over to the Gryffindor table with a large grin on his face, congratulated them, and handed them the galleons. They had been shocked.

But they knew that something else was going on, something darker and more sinister, and truth be told, they were a little frightened by it. If Salazar Slytherin was Harry Potter, then where was the real Harry Potter? Was he dead? Did Salazar kill him? Is the real Harry Potter hiding somewhere? _How _exactly was Salazar Harry Potter? Would Salazar kill _them_ if he found out that they knew his secret? They didn't know the answers to those questions, and despite being Gryffindors and being brave, they had no desire to find out and possibly get killed over it. Well, at least not yet anyway. For now the twins were just going to watch and wait. They were going to learn all they could, and then they would make a decision on what to do.

"Fred, what do you say to a little nighttime wandering? We know that Salazar is trying to protect us, but for some reason, the Headmaster wants to put us in danger. Let's show him that Salazar is right by trying to keep that door locked up tight."

"George, I like it! But I think we should just call Salazar Harry. We don't want to slip and give ourselves away."

"I agree. Ready?"

"Ready!"

* * *

Salazar stood on the third floor with a piece of parchment in his hand. He kept glancing at it every few minutes. He knew Albus was there, even if the man was under a disillusionment charm. Salazar had placed an old outdated version of the tracking charm on Albus, and the piece of parchment told him that Albus was about thirty feet to his right. This form of the tracking charm didn't work as well as the newer version, but it worked well enough for his purposes. It would only tell the caster how far away and in which direction someone was from them, versus the new charm that could tell the caster where someone was anywhere in the world, right down to the specific building. There was no way for Albus to know it had been placed on him though, even if he did check himself for a tracking charm. This one was about four hundred years old, and it had been lost to the simple passage of time.

This time Salazar saw that Albus had placed a monitoring charm on the door, but that was no matter. He would dispose of it as soon as Albus left, and he didn't care if he had to stand here all night. He would ask Severus for an invigorating drought in the morning.

* * *

Albus stood there fuming. How dare someone have the nerve to thwart him every night. He didn't know who it was, and for the last week, he had been waiting around to catch them. He briefly thought of Quirrell, but dismissed that. He didn't think Voldemort would care who was killed. Then he thought of Snape, but Snape would go along with anything Albus wanted. After all, Albus had kept him out of Azkaban. Minerva was his third choice, but Albus knew he would have heard about it from her if that was the case. Not to mention, she didn't know of his plans.

So he was honestly at a loss on who to suspect. He had tried dismantling the wards at different times of the night, but in the morning they would be right back up again. He didn't like this game, and was determined to find out who it was that kept messing up his plans.

* * *

"Ouch Fred, you almost pushed me into that statue!"

"I'm sorry George. I just want to see if the rumors are true."

"Well so do I, but quit shoving me."

"Shush! Or Miss Norris will catch us, and bring Filch!" Fred said in a loud whisper.

Both Salazar and Albus looked up sharply at the sound of the voices. Albus knew that the Weasley twins couldn't be the ones doing it because they were children, but he was curious about what they were doing. Salazar on the other hand, felt his blood run cold. They were going to get hurt, or worse.

"Do you really think there is a griffin behind that door?" George asked curiously.

"That's what the rumors say. The whole school knew about that three headed dog."

"True. Can you believe that Hagrid named it Fluffy!? Who names a dog like that 'Fluffy'?"

"Hagrid apparently." Fred said with a laugh.

_No, no, no! Don't open the door! _Salazar thought frantically.

"Alohomora." George whispered, but then suddenly let out a yelp. "Something just stung me!"

"Was it the door?"

"No, it stung the back of my head. Did you hit me?"

"No maybe it was a stinging jinx."

Both of the twins pretended to look around cautiously, but then they turned back to the door.

"There's no one around." Fred said, and went to open the door, but he too let out a yelp. "Something stung my hand!" He whispered loudly.

"Did it feel like a stinging jinx?" George whispered sarcastically.

"Shut up George."

_Bloody Gryffindors! _Salazar thought as he heard the door creak open, and then he thought fast.

He sent two powerful stinging jinxes at each of their backsides, which caused the twins to cry out loudly in pain and surprise. Then they whipped around and leapt to either side of the door, and flattened themselves against the wall. Salazar finally had a clear shot of the door handle, now that the twins had moved, and so he used the whip spell to change his wand into a solid black whip, and used it to grab ahold of the door handle and yank it shut again.

By this time, the griffin was making a lot of noise on the other side of the door, and was trying to paw its way out. The twins were looking around frantically, and then they heard the old caretaker making his way towards them and yelling something about Peeves.

"It's Filch! Let's get out of here!" Fred said loudly, and they finally took off down the corridor.

Salazar breathed a silent sigh of relief, and glanced at his parchment. Albus was still standing in the exact same spot, and had not done a thing. Salazar just shook his head. He knew that the white light from the stinging jinxes gave away the fact that he was there, and he briefly thought about throttling the two red heads, but he decided he wouldn't. Maybe this would show Albus that he was right, though he doubted it. He silently moved from his position, and went to stand somewhere else. He checked his parchment again, Albus was still there.

Albus however, glared at the spot where the white light from the stinging jinxes came from.

_So someone is here._ He thought. _They must be under a disillusionment charm like I am. But how do they know I am still here? Tracking charm maybe?_

He waved his wand around himself but he didn't find anything.

_Hmm. This will have to be thought out carefully. I can't have an unknown person sneaking around the castle messing up my carefully laid plans. I will catch them sooner or later. _Albus thought with a smile, as Filch finally came around the corner to see what made all the noise.

When he didn't see anything, Filch turned around and left.

* * *

"I think I'm going to kill Harry in the morning." Fred said as he rubbed his left 'cheek'. "I don't think I'll be able to sit for a week."

"Are we sure it was him and not Professor Dumbledore?" George asked, trying to not laugh at his brother, because he too was in the same predicament.

They had just gotten back to their dorm, and took out the map to study it.

"I think so." Fred replied. "Harry has moved, and if you remember he was standing here." He said jabbing his finger at a spot on the map. "He would have been in the perfect position to do it."

"So Professor Dumbledore was going to let us get mauled to death, and Salazar Slytherin saved our lives?" George asked in disbelief.

"Apparently." Fred said sadly, shaking his head.

"We need to find out what is happening around here. We also need to figure out how they can make themselves invisible." George said, and Fred nodded his head in agreement.

* * *

"POTTER!"

Salazar jumped a foot in the air, and sent his, Hermione, and Neville's empty potions phials crashing to the floor. Some of the Gryffindors snickered loudly, but all of the Slytherins started laughing at him.

"Sir!?" He answered automatically, and looked up to see Snape's face just inches from his. He reeled back in surprise, and would have fallen out of his seat if Neville hadn't caught him. Salazar did however, catch the very brief moment of silent laughter in Snape's eyes.

"How dare you fall asleep in my class!?" Severus shouted. "Arrogant little nuisance! Just like your father! Probably strutting about the castle all night! Serves you right for being tired! Granger, five points from Gryffindor for not waking him up! Potter, see me after class!"

"It's not our fault that Potter fell asleep! Why don't you take points from Slytherin?!" Ron shouted, and Snape turned toward him.

Ron shrank back in his seat because of the scowl on Snape's face, and the Gryffindors groaned. The Slytherins started laughing again, but Snape silenced them all with a glance.

"Are you questioning how I run my classroom Mr. Weasley? You can't even recite the twelve uses of dragon's blood. Twenty points from Gryffindor for questioning me." He sneered, then he swooped back to the front of the room.

"I'm so sorry." Salazar said shaking his head.

"It's ok Harry. He could have taken more. In fact, I'm surprised he didn't." Hermione said with a sigh.

"Me too." Neville agreed. "We did try to wake you up though, but you were dead asleep."

"I was up late last night studying, but let's try to get through the rest of class, and kick me if I fall asleep again."

Hermione giggled. "Ok."

"Quiet!" Snape snapped.

They instantly became quiet, and began picking up the phials that Salazar had knocked over, and thankfully the rest of class went by without any more incidents. When class did end though, Hermione whispered that they would wait for him, and he nodded. Snape glared at the two Gryffindors as they hurried out of the room, but when they were alone, Snape grinned.

"Having fun?" Salazar asked with a chuckle, and Severus laughed.

"Late night?"

"Indeed. I'm so sorry for falling asleep. I didn't mean to." Salazar said with a sigh. "Albus didn't leave until an hour before breakfast, so I wasn't able to get any sleep last night."

Snape nodded, and went to one of his cupboards, and pulled out a purple potion. "Take this." He said, offering the invigorating draught to him.

"Thank you. I will have to fake being tired now, but better to fake it than let someone figure out you helped me." Salazar said downing the potion. He instantly could feel the effects, and sighed as he felt his body 'waking up'.

"You can't keep doing this." Snape said. "Let me help."

"No, you need to teach your classes. Besides, the tracking charm I placed only allows one person to monitor the one whom it was cast upon. Not to mention, if Albus catches you it will only cause problems. I do however, want to ask you if you will accompany me to meet Nicholas. I plan to write him today and ask him if he can meet us here two Saturdays from now. He needs to be old exactly what is happening."

"It would be an honor to meet him." Snape said in surprise. "Where will we meet?"

"I'm thinking somewhere on the grounds, and I know just the place that will give us privacy."

Snape nodded. "Just tell me when."

"I will, but I better be going, before I'm late."

"Indeed. Oh sir, if I may, why is Peeves so afraid of you? I've been meaning to ask." Severus asked curiously.

Salazar laughed. "Peeves came into existence when the others and I built the castle. He was a menace then, just as he is now. However, Godric and I came up with a spell to banish him permanently from the castle and grounds. It's dark magic, but it's the only thing that will work on a poltergeist. It takes two people to cast it, but only one wand, and seeing as the Baron was one of the first students to attend Hogwarts, he would know of the spell because Godric and I threatened Peeves all the time with it. Helena and Friar would never banish him, so Peeves isn't as afraid of them, as much as he is the Baron. Peeves thinks the Baron will tell someone the spell, that's why he's the only one Peeves will listen too."

"And now that you're here…" Snape said with a laugh.

Salazar grinned. "Peeves knows that I can use it. Even if the Baron is a ghost, it doesn't matter. The magic comes from the one holding the wand, which would be me. Baron only needs to speak the words."

"Well its one way to get some peace and quiet around here." Snape laughed.

"Indeed. Alright, I better go. No doubt Hermione and Neville are worried. Thank you for the potion Severus."

"You're welcome sir. If you need another, please let me know. I will be brewing some more today."

"I will." Salazar said with a nod. "I'll see you later, and I'll let you know about Nicholas."

Snape nodded, and Salazar left the classroom, but when he got halfway up the stairs he heard shouting. Groaning, and wondering what could possibly be wrong now, he hurried put the stairs. When he got closer he realized Hermione was the one shouting.

"…and it's not _his _fault that Professor Snape hates him Ron! He hates Harry just as much as he does all of Gryffindor!"

"How can you defend that evil slimy snake!? He's a _Slytherin_ Hermione!"

"That does not matter, and he is not evil!" Neville yelled.

"He can talk to snakes!" Ron shouted.

"It is _just_ a language Ron! It's no different than speaking French, Spanish, Mermish, or even Gobbledegook! It's no different than any other regular or magical language!" Hermione shouted back.

"But You-Know-Who could talk to snakes! Everyone knows that!"

"And your point is?" Salazar asked, and everyone stopped shouting and turned to look at him.

Salazar noticed that the first year Slytherins and Gryffindors were crowded around the top of the staircase watching the shouting match. They were also blocking the third year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs from getting to potions, but the third years seem more interested in the argument than actually getting to class.

"This is your fault!" Ron shouted at him. "You have brainwashed them or something!"

"The only people who are brainwashed Ron is you and others who think similar to you. _You _Ron Weasley, are no better than the pure blood _Slytherins _who think all muggle-borns and half-bloods are scum. You think that all Slytherins are scum. Your prejudices are just as bad, if not worse, than theirs. Having _brainwashed_ _prejudices _seems to be a _pure blooded _thing. At least most half-bloods and Muggle-borns have the common sense to see the _individual _person, and not judge them by their blood status or house. _You _Ron Weasley, act more like a Slytherin in that aspect, than a Gryffindor."

"I DO NOT ACT LIKE A BLOODY SNAKE!" Ron screamed.

"Actually Ron, you do." George said.

"What little Harry here said makes a lot of sense, if you stop and think about it." Fred added, looking at Salazar with a small smile.

"Not you two too!" Ron moaned. "You are my brothers, how can you side with him!?"

"Because what he said is true. Though I hope you don't lump all pure bloods together like that." George said, looking at Salazar.

Salazar laughed and shook his head. "Of course I don't. You two and Neville are proof, as well as countless other pure bloods."

"That's a relief." Fred grinned.

Salazar chuckled. "I've read Hogwarts: A History, and I can't imagine what Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor would be thinking if they were alive today. They were the best of friends you know. Granted, Slytherin messed up their friendship by leaving the school, but they were still best friends. I'm sure both of them would be devastated to know what their houses have turned into. Godric would be so disappointed in Gryffindor, and Salazar would most likely want to turn all of Slytherin into saw dust. It's a shame really." Salazar said, trying to push his way through the crowd. "I suggest we all get to class before we are late."

"And who are you to tell us what to do!?" Ron shouted as he pulled out his wand.

"Ron DON'T!" Salazar heard one of the twins scream, just as he felt something catch him around the ankles.

Ron had already cast a tripping jinx at him, and Salazar couldn't stop himself from falling. He twisted himself around and brought his right arm close to his chest in order to not crush Nora when he fell, but this action caused him to land on his back and his unprotected head to bounce off the stone floor. The last thing he remembered was a streak of black scales shooting out of his robe sleeve, and a scream.

* * *

"I want that snake KILLED, and I want that boy EXPELLED!"

"Mum, it's all Ron's fault, not Harry's!"

"Yeah, if Ron wasn't being such a prat…"

"I'm not a prat!"

"You two are on the verge of being yanked out of here, so you best hope I don't get any more letters about your silly _pranks_! And besides, Ron is your brother, you should be taking his side, not the side of that evil Parselmouth _Slytherin_!"

"Just because Harry is a Slytherin and a Parselmouth doesn't mean he's evil!"

"Yes it does!" Ron shouted. "That bloody snake of his bit me!"

_"Nora, where are you?"_

All the shouting stopped, and every head looked Salazar's way. He had been awake for the last few minutes, and now he was concerned for Nora's safety. Salazar however, hadn't opened his eyes yet because his head felt like it was going to split in two. He didn't know if that meant Quirrell was around, or if it was because his head had landed on the stone floor.

"Nora is safe Harry. She is with Mr. Longbottom." A voice said gently.

_Dumbledore._ Salazar thought, and he sighed in relief. Then he decided to act surprised, because he wasn't supposed to know that Dumbledore could understand Parseltongue.

_"You can understand me?"_ He asked, slowly turning his head towards the Headmaster's voice.

"Yes, I can. Though I cannot speak Parseltongue myself." Dumbledore replied just as gently as before.

_"It feels easier to talk like this. It hurts less. Is Ron ok?"_

"Yes, Mr. Weasley is fine. Madam Pomfrey has a wide variety of anti-poison potions on hand. Don't worry though, you nor Nora, are not in any trouble. She did what any pet would do. She guarded her friend. You, by the way, are in the hospital wing."

_"Thank you." _Salazar said, and for once he was grateful that Dumbledore had some common sense.

"You're welcome Harry. Now, how do you feel?"

_"My head hurts, and my throat is very dry."_

"He says his head hurts and his throat is dry."

"Well he has a concussion, so I don't doubt it." He heard Madam Pomfrey say.

"I want to see some punishment for that boy!" Molly yelled.

"If you don't stop shouting in my hospital wing, I will have you escorted out!" Madam Pomfrey said in a commanding tone.

"Ladies please." Dumbledore said calmly. "Molly, I'm sorry to say, but I have viewed pensieve memories of the event. Harry did nothing wrong, and it was Ron who escalated things by throwing the curse."

"Yeah if anything, Ron needs a detention." One of the twins said.

"Listen here George…"

"Molly…"

"Don't Molly me Arthur! That boy should not have a snake. They are not authorized."

"Actually, they are." Dumbledore corrected her.

"Here Mr. Potter, drinks this." Madam Pomfrey said, as she glared at Molly. "Can you open your eyes for me?"

Salazar gulped down the cool water from the goblet she had placed in his hands, and it helped with the dryness of his throat, but he groaned loudly when he tried to open his eyes.

"Too bright." He mumbled.

"You just lay back down. Like I said, you have a concussion, and you need plenty of rest."

"That boy is the reason that my Ron was bitten and poisoned. He better be punished!"

"Correction! 'Your boy' is the reason he was bitten, and the reason why we are all here." Salazar growled.

"Now you listen to me…!"

"No Madam, you listen to me!" Salazar shouted, though it hurt to do so. "Your idiot son seems to think I'm evil just because I'm a Slytherin and can talk to snakes. It is _clear_ _to me_ where he gets it from! Thankfully your other children aren't as brainless as you are. Oh, and if you _ever_ send me a howler again, you will not like my response. I do not care if you knew my mother or not. _I_ do not know you at all. It does _not_ give you the right to reprimand me like one of your children!"

"Well I have never…"

"Oh Molly, tell me you didn't…" Mr. Weasley groaned.

"Don't you talk to my mother that way!" Ron shouted.

"Your mother is way out of line with her actions!" Salazar sat up and shouted. Then he groaned, grabbed his head, and laid back down.

"Oh and Mum, he taught Fred and George how to destroy your howlers!" Ron suddenly shouted.

The twins groaned and buried their heads in their hands, but Molly's face turned as red as her hair. "WHAT!?" She bellowed.

"Ok that's it! You all need to go!" Madam Pomfrey shouted. "Out! All of you! Out! Now! Mr. Weasley, you are free to go. You are fine now."

"I want some punishment Albus! I want some…"

"We will discuss it in my office." He said calmly.

"Fred, George, can one of you ask Neville to bring Nora to me. I want to see her." Salazar asked, as they shuffled out the door.

Molly glared at her sons, but Fred (or George) smiled and nodded at him. "Sure thing Harry."

"Thank you." Salazar said, as he closed his eyes again, and Molly started yelling again.

The sudden silence was a welcomed relief as Madam Pomfrey practically strong armed them all out of the hospital wing. Salazar finally relaxed, but he heard the Medi-witch huff in annoyance.

"I swear that woman is part banshee."

Salazar laughed. "That's what Nora calls her."

"Really?" She asked with a chuckle, coming over to sit at his bedside.

Salazar nodded. "She never calls anyone by their rightful names. "I'm Speaker, Hermione is Bushy, Neville is Bottom, Ron is Carrot, Draco is Puny, Lucius Malfoy is Clown, and Mrs. Weasley is Banshee." He explained with a chuckle. "There are others though." He said with a sigh, as he rubbed his head and looked at her.

He noticed that she was looking at him rather oddly, but then she sighed, looked around, and cast a privacy ward around the bed. "Well Mr. Slytherin, I think you need to get some rest."

Salazar's blood ran cold, and he stared at her, but then he groaned out loud. "Your diagnostic spells. Did you tell Dumbledore?" He asked in alarm.

"No I didn't, and don't worry, I won't. Minerva and I both know you were abused. Minerva told me before she was obliviated. I had to remind her, even though she doesn't remember the incident. Trust me, she is not happy with the Headmaster at the moment, and neither am I."

"That meddlesome, manipulative…" Salazar had to bite his tongue. "I wondered why she hasn't mentioned it since that night."

"She remembers you blowing up his office, but she doesn't remember you talking about being abused. She let Dumbledore have an earful and wouldn't let up for days, but like I said, she told me before he did it."

"Thank goodness." He sighed. "I can't believe he would go this far."

"Nor I, but sir, if you are Salazar Slytherin, then where is Harry Potter?" She asked with concern and a bit of fear.

"Madam, I would love to tell you the whole story, but my head is killing me. Severus knows the truth. I made him swear an oath to not speak of my secrets, but tell him I give him permission to talk to you, and Professor McGonagall, if you and he both agree that she can be trusted. But I need an oath from both of you. It is too dangerous for me not to ask you for one, but I will tell you this to ease your mind. The Potters, _all_ the Potters, are alive."

Madam Pomfrey's breath hitched in her throat, and her hand flew to her mouth as tears sprang into her eyes. "Truly?" She asked.

Salazar nodded. "Yes, you have my word."

The medi-witch nodded, and held up her wand. "I, Poppy Pomfrey, do here-by swear on my life and my magic that I will not reveal any of Salazar Slytherin's secrets told to me by Severus Snape, or Salazar Slytherin himself. So shall it be."

Salazar sighed and nodded as the magic swirled around them.

"Thank you." He whispered, as he felt his eyes closing again.

"You're welcome." She said with a smile. "Now, get some rest."

She covered him up with a blanket, and sat there until he fell asleep.


	10. A New Way of Doing Things

**Chapter 10**

**A New Way of Doing Things**

Salazar had spent two whole days in the hospital wing, and learned that Madam Pomfrey didn't do things haphazardly. In fact, he learned pretty quickly that she could be a bit overprotective of those that ended up in her care. His brief visit to Poppy for his broken nose didn't warrant a full diagnostic scan, but his concussion and being knocked out did. Though had he been conscious, he could have avoided that all together.

Still though, the last week and a half had been a bit nerve racking for Salazar. He didn't like so many people knowing who he was and knowing his plans, even if he could trust them. His thinking on the matter was, the more people who knew, the more things could go wrong. However, he decided to use this to his advantage. Severus, Poppy, and Minerva could bring him valuable information about Albus, and to his surprise, they were more than willing to do that.

Poppy and Minerva had cornered the poor Potions Master after dinner the night Poppy found out the truth, and had demanded answers. Thankfully Poppy had told him that Salazar gave him permission, and he finally showed them both the same memories that Salazar had shown him, plus a few more of their talks since. Needless to say, both witches were beyond angry.

Minerva couldn't believe that Albus would go as far as to obliviate her, and when she saw Severus's memory of the night Salazar blew up Albus's office, she was enraged even more. Severus and Poppy both had to stop her from turning Albus into a toad, and outright hexing him. When her temper finally calmed down, she went from angry, to completely devastated. She couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that the great Albus Dumbledore would go through such lengths to get his way. Minerva knew he talked about the 'Greater Good' all the time, but she never really put it all together.

It had been Salazar that finally put all the pieces together for them.

Despite what it seemed like, Salazar was not a hermit. He did get out into the wizarding world, and he knew things that most people would dismiss as unimportant. He finally sat down with Poppy, Severus, and Minerva and explained it all to them.

They were sitting in Snape's office, and it had been a two weeks since they found out the truth about Salazar, and now he was finally able to tell Poppy and Minerva everything he knew, and why he was doing the things he was doing.

Albus Dumbledore talked about the 'Greater Good' because it is what be believed. It was Albus, _not _Gellert Grindelwald, who came up with the phrase. Dumbledore and Grindelwald were the best of friends and met when they were teenagers. Albus had dreams of power and wanted to rule over the muggle world. He claimed that wizards were better than muggles because of their magical abilities, and he thought that the muggles needed 'guidance' and they would have used force if necessary to get the muggles to comply. Albus had planned to rule both worlds side by side with Grindelwald.

His plans changed however when his sister, Ariana, was killed in a duel between Albus, his brother Aberforth, and Grindelwald. It was his sister's death that made him realize that this might not actually be the way to go about doing things, and he severed ties with Grindelwald.

It was then that Grindelwald adopted the phrase 'For the Greater Good' for himself, and went on to commit the horrible acts that he had in the 1940's. He and Albus then had their duel, and the rest is history.

Then came Voldemort.

Salazar went on to explain that Albus had ample time deal with Voldemort _before _he became as powerful as he had. He also told the group that Voldemort was his Heir, and that his real name is Tom Riddle. He explained that Riddle graduated from Hogwarts in 1945. He grew up and was in school for most of the Muggle World War II, and also Grindelwald's reign of terror in the wizarding world. That, and the fact that he was in an orphanage, probably didn't help his way of thinking at all. However, the fact remained, Albus _knew _who he was, and what he was planning to do before the First Wizarding War ever started. Salazar also told them that the war could have been avoided if Albus had just dealt with Voldemort in the first place.

But then came the prophecy.

Salazar used himself as proof that the prophecy is a load of bullocks, and went on to explain what had happened and why the Potters went into hiding. Then he told them his role in what happened that Halloween night, and what he had been doing since.

He stressed to Poppy, Severus, and Minerva that if Dumbledore was willing to put a, seemingly, eleven year old child in harm's way for 'The Greater Good', then something was terribly wrong.

It was at that moment that Minerva broke down in tears.

"I just don't understand _why_." She said, as she shook her head. "Why would Albus do this?"

"Because he apparently thinks that Harry Potter is the only one who can defeat Voldemort, but I disagree. A _child_ cannot defeat the most powerful dark wizard of this age. It seems that Albus has taken the phrase, 'For the Greater Good', and has morphed it into something different. To him, it no longer means ruling over the muggles for their own good. I think he now believes that he alone has the knowledge and power to 'help Harry Potter in his quest to defeat Voldemort'. 'For the Greater Good' now means 'I'll do what I think is right, and no one will get in my way'. Even if it means putting a, seemingly, eleven year old child in danger. The fact that he obliviated you, and is using the stone to force a confrontation is proof of that. He is willing to put this school and its students in danger. The Cerberus, the griffin, letting Quirrell know things he shouldn't, and the fact he keeps taking down my wards all point to that."

"Do you think Albus is a dark wizard?" Poppy asked with a worried expression on her face.

Salazar shook his head and sighed. "No, I do not. If anything he is _too_ light, but he is very manipulative though. During the first war, The Order of the Phoenix was a laughing stock. Many witches and wizards died because Albus doesn't believe in killing Death Eaters. I don't know if he thinks they can be reformed, and change their ways, or what-have-you, but I know you can't fight a war with stunners and tickling charms. All the Death Eaters did was, revive their comrades, and escaped to fight and kill again. You all may not like this, but I believe war is war. If someone is trying to kill you, you kill them first."

"I agree." Severus said. "The Order was a laughing stock. Granted, I was on the wrong side for the first part of the war, but by the end I saw what a mistake it was. The Dark Lord and the Death Eaters had figured out that Albus had ordered us to be captured and not killed. That, in their minds, told them that they could pretty much do whatever they wanted to do. They knew they wouldn't be harmed."

"Exactly." Salazar said with a nod. "The next war needs to be fought differently."

Minerva sighed. "Alright. I can accept that war is coming eventually, but what do we do in the meantime?"

"It all depends on the horcruxes, but unfortunately I have no way of knowing what they are, and were they are. Albus knows more about Voldemort than I do, and I need his help. The problem is, I don't trust him and if he found out who I really was, he wouldn't trust me either. Our ideas won't mesh well, and there is no way we can work together. I can however, work around Albus, but I need help to do it, and that is where you all come in. I need information. Albus now knows about the horcruxes thanks to Nicholas, but he hasn't told anyone else about them, nor has he given Nicholas any information either. Severus and I are hoping that he tells him." Salazar said, and Severus nodded.

"He hasn't yet though." Snape said.

"Which is understandable if he is working on how to figure out where and what they are." Salazar said. Then he sighed dejectedly. "In a fit of anger, I said I wasn't going to play Albus's game, but I'm afraid I have to eat those words. I will, in fact, have to play his game. To an extent. He thinks I'm Harry Potter, so Harry Potter I will be. I won't however, let him put this school and the students in danger. As soon as the stone is placed, I'm going to get it because we are not ready for Voldemort to regain corporal form just yet."

"The stone will be in place just as soon as Pomona's devil snare has grown in. Quirrell is going to use a troll, but it can take a while to find one. All Albus is waiting for is the devil's snare." Minerva said, and everyone stared at her.

"You know this for sure?" Salazar asked.

She nodded. "As Deputy Head, Albus has told me what everyone else's traps are. He won't however, tell me what his is."

"It doesn't matter. I don't care what the traps are because I have a way of getting the stone without having to go through them."

"You do?" Poppy said in surprise.

"Yes, it's very simple, but I won't say how just in case Quirrell finds out. I will tell you after I have the stone though, I promise. Suffice to say, the castle will help me." He said with a smile. Then he looked at Minerva. "Do you know how much longer?"

"Soon. In a few days. I know it's before Halloween though."

"I thought it wouldn't be until after Christmas." Severus said looking a bit shocked, but Minerva shook her head.

"That's what Albus is telling everyone. I don't know why he is telling everyone that, but the stone will be in place in a few days."

"With Albus, there is no telling why he does certain things." Salazar said dryly.

"What about the door?" Poppy asked. "What has been going on with it?"

"He has backed off for now. I'm not sure if he's letting me get comfortable and trying to get me to become complacent, or if it's because Fred and George almost died that night. I will keep checking it though."

"So it is still warded?" Poppy asked.

Salazar nodded. "Yes, it is."

"I'm concerned about you Salazar. What of the horcrux in your head?" She asked. "I'm a healer, and I don't know if I feel right about you walking around with a piece of You-Know-Who lodged in there."

"I know it is disconcerting for you Poppy, but I have a feeling that the horcrux is what is keeping me looking like this. If we remove it, all our plans fail. It does not influence me, but it does hurt when Quirrell is around. I don't know why, and I don't know how, but perhaps it could become useful."

"What about when the time comes to destroy it?" Severus asked.

"That I don't know. Fiendfyer and basilisk venom are the only known ways to destroy one. A living horcrux though can be destroyed by Fiendfyer, that I know for sure, but I don't know if basilisk venom will work on me."

"Why, and what about the killing curse?" Severus asked.

"Well, the killing curse just bounces off of me because of my immortality, but I don't know if basilisk venom would work any better. I guess we will, as the muggles say, cross that bridge when we get there. I'll look into it though, but it's not a priority right now. Getting the stone to safety, and keeping the students safe is what we need to be concentrating on." He said, and everyone nodded in agreement.

_"Speaker, what do we do if Dumbly ever finds out the truth?" _Nora asked suddenly.

_"Well my dear, I don't know. Hopefully he never does, or at least doesn't find out until it's all over."_ He answered, and she nodded her little head understanding.

After Salazar repeated what was said, the meeting broke up, but not before Salazar informed them that he had written Nicholas. He invited all three of them to come with him when he talked to Nicholas, and needless to say, they were all excited.

* * *

"Do you think McGonagall, Snape, and Madam Pomfrey know the truth?" Fred asked, as he stared at the map.

"They might." George replied, not looking up from the book he was reading. "They have been in Snape's office talking for hours."

"True." Fred said with a yawn, but then he stopped and stared at the map again. "George, why is our little brother sleeping next to someone named Peter Pettigrew?"

George looked up and shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe another firstie had a bad dream or something. Hey I think I found something!" He suddenly cried. "The disillusionment charm is a spell that is used to conceal the target. The charm makes that which has been bewitched act as a chameleon, taking the color and texture of that which is behind and around them, and therefore granting them a form of invisibility!"

"Hey let me see that!" Fred said, grabbing the book out of George's hand. "This is brilliant! It doesn't seem that hard to do, but it is considered seventh year level."

"And when has that ever stopped us?"

"Never." Fred replied with a grin.

"Shall we practice then?" George asked, and Fred nodded eagerly.

* * *

Salazar had just come from the meeting in Snape's office, and headed up to his dorm. It was still an hour or so before curfew, but he was tired and wanted to relax in his bed with a good book. However, as soon as he stepped in the dorm room, he had a feeling something was off. Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott were there, and they seemed to be acting unusual. Blaise was there too reading a book, but he was sitting on his bed cross-legged with his elbows on his knees and his head resting in his hands. Salazar caught his eye, and Blaise quickly glanced towards the four other boys and back at him, then he glanced at Salazar's bed, then back to the four boys.

Salazar nodded ever so slightly to show he got the silent message. Something was amiss.

_"Something seems to be going on, but I do not know what." _

Nora poked her head out of his robe sleeve and looked around, but Salazar felt her tighten her grip on his forearm when she looked at the bed.

_"Speaker, the pillow on your bed seems very hot."_

_"Is it now?" _He asked as he approached his bed. He heard a few snickers behind him, and he had no doubts that the four boys knew what was going on.

Salazar stared at the pillow for a moment, and then he very carefully placed the tip of his finger on it. He gasped, jerked it back, and turned to glare at the four boys.

_How did they put a Flagrante Curse on my pillow?_ He thought, as he narrowed his eyes at them. _An older student perhaps?_

_"Speaker, are you hurt?"_ Nora asked, as she slithered out of his sleeve and onto the bed.

_"I will be fine my dear. The pillow burnt me, but not too badly. If you hadn't sensed the heat difference however, I would have been hurt worse."_

_"Puny is getting bolder." _She said, as she glared in their direction.

_"So he is."_ Salazar said. Then he smiled at Draco. "How very Gryffindor of you Draco. Placing a charm on my pillow that would burn me. Clearly you aren't aware of the fact that snakes can sense heat and cold changes." He said pointing to Nora. "That's not a very well thought cunning plan, but it is very rash and, like I said, Gryffindorish." He finished with a small applauding clap.

Blaise snorted, but didn't take his eyes off the book he was reading, and Draco became red in the face and glared at him. Then he scowled at Salazar and started to say something, but Salazar cut him off.

"However, it makes me wonder what other little surprises you have in store for me. Shall we find out?" He asked rhetorically. "Now, where did I put that book on blood magic?" He asked himself, as he turned to fumble around in his trunk. He did keep one eye on Draco and his lot though, and smirked when the boy paled.

"Blood magic is dark magic." Draco said in a shaky voice.

"It can be." Salazar replied nonchalantly, as he pulled out an old black leather book from his trunk. "Now where is that one spell?" He asked, making a production of flipping through the pages. Then he finally stopped and smiled. "Ah here it is!" He exclaimed, and then began reading out loud. "This spell is used to erect a protection ward and is one of the strongest and most easily erected due to using blood. By using the caster's blood, any object can be turned into an anchor for the ward. The ward has been successfully placed when the area emits a yellow glow, and all cursed items that can harm the caster will glow a deep blood red. The protection ward will last until the caster has no more use for it, and removes the anchor." He read, and then looked up at Draco. "Perfect!"

Salazar made another production of muttering about what to use as an anchor, before plucking a balled up piece of parchment out of the waste bin and declaring it suitable. Then he 'double checked' his book for the instructions. He proceeded to cut his hand using the severing charm, and sprinkled the blood from the cut onto the balled up parchment. After 'double checking' his book again, he scrunched up his face in concentration, pointed his wand at the parchment, and muttered the incantation. When the parchment glowed a soft blue, he smiled.

"Now, where do I put it?" He asked out loud as he looked around.

Deciding where to put the anchor was not that difficult. Salazar wanted to protect Blaise too, seeing as the boy had made an effort to be nice to him since that day in Transfiguration. Salazar had even helped him with some of his homework since then, and they had talked a little. He knew that Draco had been giving Blaise lots of grief because of it, but Blaise had chosen to ignore Draco, which only angered the blond more.

After placing a sticking charm on the balled up piece of parchment, he turned to a clear space on the wall in between his and Blaise's beds, and Salazar walked over to it. However, just before he placed the anchor, his scar suddenly started to hurt and he gasped in surprise at the sudden pain.

"Headmaster! Potter is using blood magic!" Draco suddenly yelled.

Salazar glared at the wall in front of him, and quickly stuck the anchor to it and silently muttered the final incantation so it would be activated. Then he turned around, and watched as the ward began to take effect.

"Potter! What have you done!?" Snape shouted, as the area around both Salazar and Blaise's beds began to glow a faint sunshine yellow color.

Salazar looked up to see Albus, Quirrell, and Severus standing in the dorm room doorway, and they all looked surprised at what they were seeing. Salazar however, wasn't surprised to see that his pillow, the handle for the drawer on his nightstand, and a pair of Blaise's shoes were glowing a deep blood red.

"I placed a simple protection ward." He answered, with unconcerned innocence.

"Potter! You will take down…" Severus started to shout as he made his way towards Salazar, but he was cut off.

"Sir, I advise you not to take a step closer. If you or anyone has the intention of harming me, the ward will bounce you backwards and you _will_ land very painfully on your bum." He said quickly, and Snape stopped in his tracks and looked at him in surprise.

"Why is my area glowing too?" Blaise asked confused.

"It has a twenty foot radius." Salazar said. "I suppose it's a happy accident though, considering your shoes are glowing a blood red."

"WHAT!?" Blaise yelled, suddenly breaking his cold and unconcerned demeanor. "Draco, you sorry sodding piece of dragon shi…!"

"Mr. Zabini!" Severus yelled in warning, and Blaise stopped and glared at the blond.

"Indecently, the Death Eaters-in-training also cursed my pillow with some kind of curse that burns the skin, and they have also placed another curse on my nightstand drawer handle." Salazar said, and held up his finger. "Nora spotted the heat change in the pillow, and when I touched it, it burned me." He added, as he stood by his bed with an innocent smile on his face.

"Harry, where did you learn this spell?" Albus asked.

"From a book I bought over the summer after I got my letter." He lied.

"What shop did you get it from?"

"Oh." He said scratching the back of his head. "I don't remember the name of the shop, but I know it was somewhere in Bocktorn…Knockton…Knock…"

"K-K-Knockturn A-Alley?" Quirrell asked, looking slightly amused.

"Yes! That's the name! Knockturn Alley." He said. This wasn't actually a lie though. He _had _bought the book in Knockturn Alley…two hundred years ago.

"What else did you get in Knockturn Alley Harry?" Albus asked gently.

Salazar grinned innocently and held up his wand. "My wand."

Albus paled drastically and his eyes widened in shock. "Harry, if I may, what is it made of?"

"Oh um…the maker said it was a perfect match for me, and he also said it is made from yew wood and the core is basilisk hide." He said, and internally laughed hysterically as Albus's face resonated shock and horror.

Quirrell on the other hand, started laughing. "Those a-are v-v-very i-interesting materials Mr. P-Potter."

"I didn't even know what a basilisk was, but when I found out, I thought it was pretty funny, seeing as I can talk to snakes. Did you know that the muggles have a saying, that if looks could kill, I'd be dead? That kind of rings true if you run into a basilisk." He said innocently, and Quirrell chuckled lightly.

"Harry, why didn't you go to Ollivander's to get your wand." Albus asked, finally recovering from his shock.

Salazar shrugged. "I didn't know I was supposed to. The wand shop was right next to the book shop, and my letter said I needed a wand." He said.

"Tomorrow is Saturday Harry, so I would like you to accompany Professor Snape to Diagon Alley. I would prefer you have a wand from Ollivander's."

Salazar narrowed his eyes slightly and Snape looked at Albus in a mix of shock and disgust.

"With all due respect Headmaster, I'm not giving up my wand." He said a little coldly.

"No, no Harry, you misunderstand. You can keep that wand if you choose, but I prefer you have one from Ollivander's also."

"Two wands?" Severus asked in surprise, and even Quirrell looked a bit startled at the suggestion.

"Well yes, it's always good to have a backup. You never know when you will need it." Albus said. "Now Harry, let's talk about the protection ward you have set up. Are you aware that blood magic is dark magic?"

Salazar suddenly felt like banging his head against the wall, but he sighed internally and looked at the old fool.

"Well, I do admit that some of the spells in that book are pretty disturbing, and I would not ever use them on someone, but this spell seems fine enough. I'm more concerned about the spells that the Death Eaters-in-training have placed on mine and Blaise's things. Whatever is on my pillow burnt my finger. Imagine if Nora hadn't noticed and I placed my head on it." Salazar said pointedly. "Apparently that is a spell that is only used to hurt people. I'd say that was 'dark magic'. In fact, it's darker than my supposed 'dark magic' _protection_ spell." He said angrily.

"Firstly Harry, I will kindly ask you not to refer to Mr. Malfoy and his friends as 'Death Eaters-in-training'." Albus said a bit heatedly. "Secondly, all blood magic is considered dark magic simply because it uses blood. Blood by its very nature, in relation to magic, can cause very bad consequences."

Salazar raised an eyebrow. _That is a bunch of hogwash, and it didn't even make sense. All it was, was a bunch of useless words strung together to make it sound thoughtful and wise. What is your game Albus?_ Salazar thought, but then he shrugged.

"Sir I'm sorry, but I have to disagree. The only consequences that will happen with this particular spell is the fact that the cursed objects show blood red and the perpetrators get caught. The other consequence is that if someone intends to harm me they are thrown backwards by the ward and will land on their bum. That is hardly anything horrible, unless you don't like being embarrassed. Now, if the ward decapitated someone, then that would be a major problem and I obviously wouldn't use it. I hardly see the danger here, other than not knowing what things of mine, and indecently, Blaise's, have been cursed."

"I am very disappointed in you Harry." Albus said shaking his head sadly.

_For What!? _Salazar thought, as the same time Quirrell asked "F-For w-w-what Albus? T-Thinking for himself?"

Dumbledore shot Quirrell a nasty glare, but then turned to Salazar. "I must ask you to take down this ward."

"No." Salazar said. "I won't."

"Why you little…you have no respect for anyone. You will do as the Headmaster says!" Snape shouted.

"No." Salazar said standing firm. "Next time Draco and his friends might try something worse. I don't even know what is on my pillow, my nightstand drawer handle, or Blaise's shoes. I'm not taking a chance that this will happen again."

"Harry you must forgive them. I'm sure they are sorry." Albus said.

"They don't look like it, and as for forgiving them, no. They did this intentionally."

"I am so disappointed in you." He said again, shaking his head. "Your mother and father would be also."

"I didn't know them, so I can't say if they would or wouldn't, but that's not exactly my fault, now is it? Trying to gain an advantage over me by using my _dead_ parents to make me feel guilty, isn't exactly wise. All it's going to do is piss me off." Salazar said with anger flashing in his eyes.

"POTTER!" Snape shouted.

"You forget how I was raised Headmaster." Salazar continued, purposely ignoring Snape. "Self-preservation was key. Determination just to make it through each day _alive_ was key. Cunningly thinking up new ways of getting away from that fat useless no good excuse for a muggle was _key_. They are lucky I didn't go back and hex them."

"W-w-would you h-have?" Quirrell asked curiously.

"No, because that would have made me no better than they are." Salazar said pointedly. "And I'm better than those muggles."

"I can honestly say that I'm happy to hear you say that Harry." Albus said with a smile. "But do you think you can afford the same feelings for Mr. Malfoy and his friends?"

"No." Salazar said simply, and crossed his arms in front of his chest in a childish manner.

"Then I must do this. I'm sorry. Twenty points from Slytherin, and you and your dorm mates will serve detention on a night I deem and with whom I deem."

Salazar glared at the Headmaster, and briefly thought about hexing the man. Blaise protested the punishment (and rightfully so) by saying he didn't do anything, and Draco began screaming about how his father would hear about this.

Salazar rolled his eyes, stomped over to where his pillow lay, levitated it over to the fireplace, and promptly set it on fire. He asked Blaise if he had another pair of shoes, and when the boy nodded, he did the same with those, saying he'd buy Blaise another pair. As for his nightstand drawer handle, he grumbled loudly that he would deal with it later. Then he climbed into bed and glared at Albus, Severus, and Quirrell who were looking at the small tantrum with a mix of amusement (Snape and Quirrell) and sadness (Albus).

Albus sighed loudly. "As for the original reason that we are here, I stumbled upon Professor Quirrell in the dungeons. He was looking for the entrance to the secret shortcut you discovered. I admit that I'm curious about it too, and we tried to find it, but we were unsuccessful. Will you tell us where it is?" He asked gently, and in his best grandfather voice.

Salazar just glared at him from his bed where he was now sitting. "I'm sorry Headmaster. I have forgotten where it is." He said angrily, and snapped his bed curtains closed in a true eleven year old child fashion.

He grinned when he heard Albus sigh loudly, and chuckled as he heard Snape mumbling about 'the Potter brat' as they shuffled out the door. Salazar thought that this new way of doing things, and handling Albus, was going to be fun.


	11. Finding Out the Truth

**Chapter 11**

**Finding Out the Truth**

_My Old Friend,_

_Tomorrow night is good to meet. I will admit that it will be good to talk to you face to face. My other friend has not given me any information pertaining to my property, but from the tone and words of your letters, I don't think I'm going to like what I hear. My better half is concerned for the children's safety and will be accompanying me. We will meet at the scheduled time._

_Your Old Friend,_

_Me_

Salazar sighed with relief as he read Nicholas's letter, then he looked at Hedwig. "I have no reply for you to take. It's all taken care of." He said, as he scratched the top of her head.

She hooted in reply, and began to eat a bit of Salazar's bacon.

_"Why can't you find your own breakfast you silly Pigeon?"_

Hedwig glared and hooted angrily at Nora, who was staring at a bowl full of mice that appeared to either be stunned or dead. She had already eaten one and was thinking about eating another, but she was still undecided.

Over the last several weeks the house elves in the kitchen had been catching the mice and serving them in a bowl at Salazar's end of the table. Nora had been delighted by this new form of food, and had taken a liking to it. She said it was much better than the chicken and sausage that Salazar had been pulling apart for her.

Hedwig however, eyed the bowl hungrily and before Salazar knew it, Hedwig had used her wing to knock Nora away from the bowl, then she snatched up one of the mice and began circling above their heads.

_"You stupid Pigeon! You stole my breakfast! Give me back my breakfast!" _Nora yelled, as she raised her head up.

She started trying to attack Hedwig, but the owl made sure to stay out of her striking range. Hedwig began teasing Nora though, by hovering above them and swooping down low every so often.

_"Listen here you haughty feather duster!" _Nora yelled, as she continued to try and reach Hedwig. _"You won't like what I do to you, if you don't give me back my breakfast!" _

Salazar just shook his head and laughed at their antics, but Hedwig suddenly dropped the mouse, which landed on Nora's head, then it rolled off the table and onto the floor. Then she swooped down low, and appeared to try and grab another mouse out of the bowl, but Nora suddenly launched herself off the table and somehow managed to wrap herself around Hedwig's foot.

This did not go over well with Hedwig, who immediately began trying to shake her off. By this time the entire great hall was watching them, and Salazar was laughing too hard to do anything about it.

Hedwig managed to shake Nora off her foot and the snake landed on the floor, and quickly slithered over to the mouse, but Hedwig cut her off. The owl used her wing and batted the mouse further away from Nora, who stopped and glared at the bird as she landed several feet away from her.

Most of the Professors were laughing, some looked curious as to who would win, and others looked on disapprovingly at the showdown.

And it was a showdown. The mouse now lay between Nora and Hedwig, and both were staring at the other. Hedwig looked slightly ruffled, and Nora was hissing loudly.

_"Try for it Pigeon, I dare you! It is my breakfast and you can't have it!" _Nora said, and Hedwig hooted at her and flapped her wings.

"Why can't you both share?" Salazar asked, as he tried to regain control of himself. "There is plenty of mice."

_"That is not the point Speaker. The Pigeon is a vicious savage animal, because she stole my breakfast!"_

Salazar snorted, and really didn't know what to say, but the two animals continued to stare at each other. Suddenly Hedwig took flight and tried to grab the mouse again, but this time Nora launched herself towards her and managed to wrap herself around one of Hedwig's wings and body. Unable to fly now, Hedwig landed with a thump on the floor and laid there with her eyes closed.

Salazar raised an eyebrow and began to wonder what Hedwig was doing, but Nora raised her head up and slithered out from under Hedwig. Then she peered closer at the owl, who was still just lying there.

_"Pigeon? Pigeon?! PIGEON!?" _Nora yelled as loudly as she could, then she took her tail and began thumping Hedwig on the chest. _"Pigeon wake up! Speaker, I killed Pigeon! What do we do? Pigeon!?"_

Salazar was trying to keep a straight face, but Nora was so frantic and worried about Hedwig that it was hard to do so. Nora again peered into Hedwig's face and kept shouting at her, but suddenly Hedwig hooted loudly, which scared Nora, and she slithered backwards quickly. Hedwig jumped up, snatched up the mouse, and flew out of the great hall.

Salazar and several other people started laughing, and it took a moment for what happened to register with Nora, who began yelling again.

_"That stupid Pigeon tricked me! I thought she was dead, and she STILL stole my breakfast!" _

_"I'm sorry my dear, but there are plenty of more mice. Would you like another one?" _Salazar asked as Nora made her way back towards him.

_"No Speaker. I am full, but next time Pigeon won't be so lucky. I will bite her." _

Salazar chuckled softly and picked her up off the floor and sat her back on the table. She coiled around herself and began grumbling about 'feather dusters', 'stupid pigeons', and 'biting things'. Salazar just chuckled again.

Blaise, who had been one of the many people laughing the whole time, moved from where he was sitting and sat in front of Salazar. Nora lifted her head up and looked at him, but then laid it down.

_"Hello Zabby. Perhaps you can get Speaker to stop laughing at me."_

Salazar snorted again, and looked at Blaise, but he was watching Nora carefully.

"Is it ok if I sit here? Will she bite me?"

Salazar shook his head. "No, as a matter of fact she greeted you, and said that maybe you can get me to stop laughing at her."

"Really?" He asked in surprise, but then he chuckled. "I thought she didn't like anyone but Granger and Longbottom."

"Oh no. There are several people that she doesn't mind. She likes Fred and George, Hermione and Neville, you, and several of the Professors."

"She bit Weasley though." Blaise said, still watching Nora warily.

_"Only because the Carrot attacked Speaker."_ She said, and Blaise looked at Salazar questioningly.

"She said she only bit Ron because he attacked me."

"Oh. Can I pet her?"

Salazar nodded, and Blaise reached out cautiously to pat Nora's head. They sat there in silence for a few minutes as the boy petted Nora, and finally he began to relax more and more. Nora seemed to not mind him, and actually nudged his hand when he quit petting her.

Blaise smiled at her before turning to Salazar. "I never got a chance to thank you for last night. I stayed in the room so I could hopefully warn you before you laid down. They asked a seventh year to put the flagrate curse on your pillow." He whispered. "Draco actually did your nightstand drawer handle. He used a biting hex, but he must have placed it on my extra pair of shoes before I came in. I'm pretty sure that's what it was anyway." He mumbled.

"I was wondering why you were sitting on your bed reading because you always stay in the common room if you're doing that. Draco and company however, were the ones that tipped me off that something was wrong. Hanging around, snorting, and giggling like a bunch idiots, or should I say, Gryffindors." Salazar replied, as he took a sip of his pumpkin juice.

Blaise snorted. "But you seem to be friends with Gryffindors more than anyone else."

Salazar shrugged. "They are the only ones who aren't afraid of me. Truth be told, Hermione and Neville don't get on my nerves like the others do, and Fred and George are the same way. Fred and George like to laugh and play pranks, but honestly, who doesn't like to laugh. Besides, they aren't as brainless as the rest of their family."

"I suppose that's true." Blaise said thoughtfully. "The Weasleys and the Longbottoms are pure-bloods, although they are considered blood traitors, but Granger is a mud…"

"If you say mudblood, I'll curse you." Salazar said sharply, as he glanced at the boy.

Blaise reddened slightly. "Muggle born."

"That's better." He said with a smile. "Neville and Hermione like to learn, and I've realized that I like to teach. Even at the muggle primary school I attended before getting my letter, I would find myself helping those that needed or wanted it. I don't know why, but I can read and retain information better than most. I've always been like that though. Fred and George seem to like me only because I helped them with their mother's howlers, but that's fine too. I don't mind."

"You do seem to pick up things pretty fast, but I guess you're like a Ravenclaw in that aspect. Most people say you can do the harder bits of magic because you're powerful, but I suppose you'd have to be, since you defeated You-Know-Who." Blaise said, but whispering the last part.

Salazar just shrugged again, and placed his napkin down on the table. "Whether that is true or not, I can't say, but I do know that it is fun surprising people that I can do these things." He chuckled. "I suppose I could have hid it, but really, what's the point in that? All it would do is hinder my studies."

"I suppose you're right." Blaise said with a smile.

Blaise started to say something else, but suddenly a dark shadow loomed over them and they looked up to see Snape glaring down at them.

"Potter, if you are done providing the morning entertainment, the Headmaster insists that we leave for Diagon Alley. I personally have better things to do in the Alley, other than babysitting you. Be in my office in ten minutes." He said, and turned on his heel and stalked away.

Salazar sighed and rolled his eyes. "I suppose I better go."

"He sure does hate you. He doesn't act like that with anyone else in the house." Blaise commented, as Salazar stood up.

"I don't know why though." He said with a shrug. "But if I'm not back by lunch, send someone to check his potion ingredients cabinet. There might be bits of me in it."

Blaise laughed as Salazar scooped up Nora, and after taking one last bite of his toast, he quickly followed the Potions Master out of the great hall.

* * *

Snape walked briskly down the corridors with Salazar struggling to keep pace beside him, and it was at times like these that Salazar missed his normal tall form. Once they got into Snape's office however, Salazar plopped down in a chair to catch his breath, and Snape turned to smirk at him.

"Sir, may I suggest an exercise routine? Some of the muggle raised and born often take to jogging around the lake."

Salazar glared at him, but then grinned and sent a stinging jinx at the Potions Master, which was blocked with an easy flick of the young man's wand.

"Cheeky doesn't suit you Severus." He laughed. "You forget that I'm a pure blood, and we only run if we are being chased by the demons of hell itself."

Snape chuckled. "So I've noticed. Do you have any thoughts on why Albus wishes you to have two wands?"

Salazar threw his hands up in the air and scoffed with exasperation. "No." He said simply, but then he sighed. "The only thing I can think of is that he wishes me to have a 'light' wand instead of a 'dark' wand. I was truthful about its materials and buying it in Knockturn Alley, and I mainly did that to rattle him. I didn't however, expect him to act so idiotic about it."

Snape rolled his eyes. "Well, you _are _the Savior of the Wizarding world, The-Boy-Who-Lived, and other various names. We can't have you running around with a _dark _wand now can we?"

Salazar chuckled. "What did I say about being cheeky?"

Snape smirked at him and pointed to the floo. "Shall we?"

"I suppose." Salazar said with a sigh.

* * *

Salazar and Severus stepped out of the floo at the Leaky Cauldron, and basically went their separate ways from there. Snape had to make a trip to the Apothecary for some potions ingredients. Apparently some of the younger years had already ruined enough ingredients and blown up enough cauldrons to warrant a trip.

Salazar on the other hand, begrudgingly made his way towards Ollivander's wand shop. It wasn't busy at all, but there was an older lady who needed a replacement wand so Salazar waited patiently for her to be sorted out.

Salazar knew Ollivander of course, from living in the Alley for the past few centuries. He knew the man had a tendency to be 'creepy' as some of his customers put it, but he also knew the man was an excellent wand maker. He himself had owned several wands that had been made by the Ollivander family. Most recently, his last wand had been made by Ollivander's great grandfather Gerbold. Though, he had purchased that one nearly one hundred and fifty years ago.

When the shop was clear, Ollivander turned to Harry and smiled brightly. "Ah, good morning Mr. Potter. How are you today?"

"I'm doing fine sir. Professor Dumbledore sent me here because of my wand."

"Yes, yes. Albus floo called me this morning, and told me to expect your arrival. It's very curious that he wants you to have two wands, and I myself honestly don't know why. However, he did ask me to take a look at your yew and basilisk hide wand. Would you permit me?"

"Of course sir." Salazar said handing him the wand that offended Albus so much.

Ollivander took it, carefully rubbed his expert hands over it, and peered at the wand closely. Then he slightly tilted his head to the side and held it up as if to study it, before smiling at Salazar.

"This is a very powerful wand Mr. Potter, and I sense that it is slightly dark, but I suspect that is because the core is made from basilisk hide. I don't know why Albus is all that worried about it though. It's expertly made and the wood and materials are of very high quality." He said, placing the wand up to his ear. "However, it is a very old wand. Nearly eighty years old to be precise."

Salazar nodded. "Yes sir, that's what the man said when I bought it."

Ollivander seemed to ponder this statement for a moment then looked at him curiously. "How does it work for you?"

"It works really well. I can get most spells on the first few tries with it, and when I first touched it, I felt all tingly, but in a good way." Salazar said with a smile, shaking his body as if to demonstrate the tingly feeling.

Ollivander smiled and nodded as he handed Salazar the wand back. "Well, I suppose we better get you situated with another wand, though I don't really understand why." He said, as he began pulling boxes of wands off the shelf.

An hour later saw a shocked Ollivander telling Salazar all about the holly and phoenix feather wand that had just bonded to him. Apparently, Ollivander had sold the yew and phoenix feather wand that had given Salazar the lightning bolt shape scar on his forehead, and the old wand maker said that his and Voldemort's wand cores came from the same phoenix. Salazar grew more and more angry with each word, but he held his temper and anger in check until he could exit the shop.

After paying and thanking Ollivander for his help, Salazar ducked into a small alcove so he could apparate into his flat, where he promptly began blowing up his furniture. After letting out a cry of disgust and anger, he glared out of his charmed windows down into the Alley below.

_How has Albus managed this?_ Salazar thought, as he watched a few young children run about in the Alley. _How did he manipulate this? Ollivander looked genuinely shocked, so I know he wasn't a part of it, but how!? DAMN YOU ALBUS!_

He briefly thought about repairing his furniture just so he could blow it all up again, but he spotted Severus ducking into Ollivander's and ducking back out a few moments later. Then he saw the young man look around, before heading over to Flourish and Blotts.

_What was it that Ollivander said? The wand chooses wizard? That's what his forefathers always said as well._

He suddenly had an idea and checked his little alcove spot, before apparating back into the Alley. He entered Flourish and Blotts and spotted Severus right away, but gave the man a 'we need to talk later' look before heading up towards the checkout counter. Salazar took a deep calming breath and then smiled at the clerk.

"Excuse me sir? Can you tell me where I might find books about wandlore?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Severus raise a questioning eyebrow as the clerk pointed to a dusty section in the back of the store. Both men quickly retreated to the section, and Salazar began scanning the titles on the spines. Every once in a while he would pluck a book off the shelf, scan the contents, and either put it back or place it aside.

Severus watched him, but didn't say anything until they had left the book shop and were heading back to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Sir?" He whispered quietly and a bit curiously, as they entered the ancient pub.

"Not here Severus." Salazar whispered back as they reached the floo. "Most certainly not here."

* * *

Albus looked around the room with a happy smile. He had gotten a floo call from a very stunned Ollivander just after Harry had left his shop, and the old wand maker told him the whole story. He had a feeling that this would happen, and he was glad that he suggested to Harry to get another wand. To Albus, this new set of circumstances pushed aside any doubt that the prophecy was false. He now knew that it was 100% true. Harry Potter is the one that will defeat Voldemort.

He was shaken out of his thoughts when the door to the staff lounge opened and his Potions Master walked in, looking grouchy as usual.

_At least he doesn't look angry._ He thought, as the man took his usual seat.

Albus smiled around at everyone. "Thank you all for being here a little later than normal, and I'm sorry that your Saturday afternoon is taken up by our meeting. Before we dive into our usual business, I wish to inquire about young Harry. Severus, were there any problems this morning?"

"None." Snape said in a bored tone. "However, the brat can't listen to what he is told to do. I told him to go to Ollivander's and stay there after he got his wand, while I went to the Apothecary. He, just like his father, doesn't listen and I had to track him down. I finally found him in Flourish and Blotts."

"Did he buy anything?" Albus asked, suddenly alarmed.

"Just some old books about children's tales and such. That is what his reading level is I believe. The boy can't even get anything worthwhile." He said, telling Albus what Salazar had asked him too.

Several people looked at him with disapproval because of what he said, but Minerva and Poppy glanced at each other.

"Are you sure of that?" Albus asked, looking unconvinced.

"After his display of using blood magic last night, yes. I made sure." Severus said, rolling his eyes.

Several people gasped, and Albus gave him a stern glare.

"Albus? Is that true?" Professor Sprout asked, as her hand flew to her mouth.

Albus sighed, and nodded. "Yes, he used what he calls a blood magic protection ward. He used a piece of parchment sprinkled with his blood. The ward glows yellow and he claims it protects the caster from harm while inside it. It also shows anything that has been cursed within its perimeters."

"I-It is a l-l-legitimate ward, and he cast i-it p-p-properly." Quirrell said, and several people glanced at him. "I-I am v-very impressed, and i-it works because s-several items turned the p-p-proper blood red. S-Several Slytherins cursed his t-things."

"Quirrell is correct. The ward he cast is also protecting Mr. Zabini, whose things were also cursed." Severus confirmed. "I looked into it last night, and Potter did indeed cast the ward correctly and it does what he claims. It is a very simple ward to do, and any first year with enough control over their magic can accomplish it, so I'm not surprised Potter could. Even if he is a dunderhead."

"Other students cursed his things?" Flitwick asked in shock.

Albus sighed. "Yes, his dorm mates."

"I think the others put a Flagrate Charm on his pillow." Snape said, and everyone's eyes widened in shock.

"Well I never thought I'd say this about dark magic, but good on Mr. Potter for protecting himself and others." Minerva said with a nod. "I hope you weren't too hard on him Severus. He was obviously displaying…what do Slytherins call it? Oh yes, self-preservation."

Snape sneered at her, but Albus sighed again. "I took points from Slytherin and gave all the boys detention."

"_All_ of them?" Minerva asked, and Albus nodded.

"But why Mr. Potter?" Flitwick asked.

"Because he used dark magic." Albus said sharply.

"But Albus, you can't punish the boy for protecting…" Minerva started to say, but she was cut off.

"It's done Minerva." He said impatiently. "Its dark magic no matter how you look at it. He bought the book in Knockturn Alley, along with his wand. It's a dark wand, and is made from yew and basilisk hide. That is why I sent him to Ollivander this morning. He now has a proper wand. Ollivander tells me it's made from holly and phoenix feather."

"Yes, and apparently it's the brother wand to the Dark Lords." Severus said suddenly, which made everyone at the table gasp in horror. "He was spouting off about in the middle of Diagon Alley. I had to tell the stupid boy to remain quiet about it. So much for _self-preservation_." He said with a sneer.

Albus scowled at the Potions Master and sighed again. That was not something he wanted to be known, especially in present company. Quirrell looked startled and stared from Albus to Severus, then back to Albus.

"I-Interesting that the boy w-who defeated You-Know-Who w-would have a brother wand. W-What does that m-m-mean exactly?"

"I don't know, but Ollivander tells me that both feathers came from Fawkes." Albus said, then he decided to change the subject. "How has Harry been preforming in class? Is he still doing well?"

The change of topic worked and everyone started to talk about how good he was still doing in their classes. However, there were two certain witches that would be cornering Severus after the meeting. It worked for the witches, and Severus filled them in on what was really going on. He told them that Salazar believed that Albus somehow manipulated this, and bought a few books about wands and wandlore to better figure it all out.

* * *

It was Sunday night, just after midnight, and Salazar was in his animagus form laying in the grass just several yards away from the front door of the school. Nora was back in the dorms, just in case one of the other boys woke up and discovered him missing. She would let him know what they did and if they told anyone.

He lifted his head slightly when the doors opened and the heat signature of a cat walked out. It stopped on the bottom step, and cocked its ears in Salazar's direction when he hissed loudly. Then it turned towards him, silently padded over to him, and sat down. The two continued to watch the door, and it opened again a few minutes later. Then a heat signature of a person walked out. This time when Salazar hissed, the cat meowed loudly and the invisible person quickly made their way to them. After another minute or so, the process was repeated again as another person joined them.

As soon as they were all together, they set off towards the meeting spot to meet with Nicholas and Perenelle. The two disillusioned humans followed the animals into the Forbidden Forest, and after a few minutes of walking, they came upon a spot that was flat and devoid of any trees and bushes. Soft grass covered the area, and Salazar saw the heat signature of two more people. He nodded his head, and returned to human form.

"Did you have any problems finding this place Nicholas?"

Nicholas chuckled as he and Perenelle canceled their charms. "We can't hide from you, can we Salazar?"

"No I suppose not." He said, giving him a friendly hug. "Perenelle, you look lovely as always." He said, bowing slightly and kissing her hand.

She smiled. "Salazar you're always such a charmer, and trying to flatter me."

"Yes well, you always refuse my offers for marriage, though I can't understand why, so I keep trying."

"Who else would keep this barmy old fool in line if I did?" She teased.

Nicholas laughed. "You've been trying to steal her away for five hundred years. It must be something in the Slytherin line that won't let you give up."

"It's called determination." Salazar said with a grin, and Nicholas chuckled. "My old friends, I'd like to introduce you to my new friends. This is Minerva McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor, Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin, and Poppy Pomfrey, our resident Healer."

Minerva, Poppy, and Severus bowed their heads slightly out of respect, but Perenelle smiled brightly.

"I'm so glad that there are two competent witches that are able to keep Salazar in line and out of trouble, but watch out for him. He may look like a cute eleven year old boy, but he's a devil with a silver tongue, and he needs your guidance." She said with a grin, and everyone laughed as Salazar started grumbling, but then Perenelle looked at Severus and smiled. "As for you young man, you also need to keep him in line, least he starts to over think things and causes problems. Salazar's been known to do that."

Severus, Poppy, and Minerva chuckled, but Salazar raised his head up and grinned. "I'll have you know woman that I am Salazar Slytherin, and I am perfect. Stop telling them anything otherwise."

"See what I mean." She said with a laugh.

"I tell you this my friend, it's good to have you back." Nicholas said with a laugh. "But on to what we are here for. Details."

"Yes." Perenelle said with a nod. "Salazar, please tell me you were overreacting about the children being eaten. This has greatly disturbed me."

"I wish I was." He said with a sigh.

He went on to explain all that was happening, and with every new detail, the Flamels grew more and more angry. They were outraged about the fact that Salazar thinks that Albus used the stone to lure Voldemort out into the open. Perenelle was especially angry over the idea that Dumbledore would be so caviler with hers and Nicholas's lives, and place a, seemingly, child in this much danger. If Voldemort somehow managed to get the stone, they would die.

Salazar went on to explain the door, Cerberus, and Griffin, and Minerva told them about the other traps. Nicholas, if it was possible, was even more angry about that. A troll, chess set, devil's snare, potions riddle, flying keys, and an animal were not his idea of protections. Strong spells, enchantments, and wards were. He did not fault Minerva and Severus in this, because it was reveled by Minerva that Albus had told them to use their area of expertise. He said that protecting the stone was Albus's job, not theirs.

Needless to say, by the time they were done talking, the Flamels wanted to march up to the school and demand their stone back, but Salazar told them that they would have it soon. Minerva said that the stone would be in place by Halloween, which was on Thursday. This eased their minds greatly.

There was several minutes of silence as everyone was lost in their own thoughts, but then Salazar sighed, and looked at Nicholas.

"I hate to ask something of you, but I need your help in another matter."

"What is it Salazar?" Nicholas asked curiously.

"I got a letter sometime back from Lily and James Potter. James is adamant that Sirius Black couldn't have killed the muggles. He said that is not something he would do, even in a moment of grief. Would you be able to ask some of your contacts in the Ministry to give you a copy of the trial transcripts? I want to read about what happened, and what was said during the trial."

"I can do that. You've done so much for us, so of course."

"Thank you. James did say that it was possible that Sirius Black killed Peter Pettigrew, but not the muggles."

"PETER PETTIGREW!?" Two identical voices cried out from behind one of the very large trees that bordered the clearing.

All the adults turned around with their wands raised.

* * *

***A/N* I know a cliff hanger! *Laughs evilly* What do you guys think i should do? Should i have Salazar obliviate the twins, or should they all work together? Hmmm, decisions...decisions. Please review and let me know! Thanks to everyone who has F, F, & R'd! I am so glad you like the story! You guys are so awesome! **


	12. Things Are Shaping Up

**Chapter 12**

**Things Are Shaping Up**

"You have thirty seconds to tell me why I shouldn't obliviate you two!" Salazar cried, as he realized that those two bloody Gryffindors had, once again, shown up out of the blue.

The twins came out from behind the tree, and canceled their disillusionment charms. They were wide eyed and stared at the adults fearfully.

"We…we…I…I…" Stuttered one.

"Silencing charms on our clothes, disillusionment charm, and the map." Said the other.

"That only tells me how you managed to sneak up on us. That's not a reason why I shouldn't obliviate you!" He shouted. "15…14…13…"

"We have seen Peter Pettigrew…"

"…sort of…"

"…kind of…"

"…on the map. When you said his name, it surprised us."

"We've known who you really are for weeks…."

"…But we haven't told anyone." Said one twin hurriedly.

"Right. We knew you and Professor Dumbledore were there that night with the griffin, and we know that it was you who saved us."

"We did that so that Professor Dumbledore would know that you were right by keeping the door warded."

"At first we thought you killed Harry Potter…"

"…or took over his body…"

"…and killed his Mum and Dad…"

"…but then we realized that you couldn't have because Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey wouldn't be on your side if you had."

"Not to mention you're friends with Hermione…"

"…Who is a muggle born."

"We know about Dumbledore…"

"…and Quirrell…"

"…and the guy who keeps following him around. What's-His-Name…"

"…Tom Riddle…"

"…Yeah that guy…"

"…Always follows Quirrell around."

"We know that the Headmaster is up to something…"

"…we just didn't know what it was, until tonight."

"We are so sorry please don't obliviate us!" They cried together.

Salazar was still trying to process what all the twins had said, and he was slightly dizzy from their speech, but he was suddenly brought back to the here and now when Madam Pomfrey started laughing.

"Two Gryffindors have out 'Slytherin-end' the Slytherin."

That got a chuckle out of Perenelle, but then she spoke with a stern voice. "Salazar, they are children. I don't care if you are older than me, I will not permit you to erase their memories."

"What map." Severus asked, glaring at the insufferable Weasleys.

"You-Know-Who is here!" Minerva cried.

This was all roughly said at the same time, and Salazar finally was able to, sort of, process it all and regain his senses.

"What map?" He asked, repeating Severus's question.

"This map." One of the twins said, handing the map to Salazar.

"It shows all of Hogwarts…"

"…Including the grounds…"

"…and where everyone is…"

"…and what they are doing…"

"…at all times."

"You said you saw Peter Pettigrew and Tom Riddle on this map?" Salazar asked.

"Yes sir, if you look in Gryffindor tower you'll see Peter is sleeping next to our brother Ron."

"We thought he was a first year who was having bad dreams at first."

Salazar looked at the twins suddenly. "He has a pet rat."

"Yeah Scabbers, why?"

Ignoring their question he asked another one. "And Tom Riddle?"

"He is sleeping next to Professor Quirrell." They said together.

"Where did this map come from?" Minerva asked, glaring at them.

"We don't know, but it says it's the Marauder's Map…"

"…And it was made by Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs."

Salazar suddenly burst out laughing. "Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, and James Potter." Then he caught sight of the others shocked faces. "James told me. They are all animagi, well except Lupin. Remus is a werewolf so he's Moony, Peter is a rat, so he's Wormtail, Sirius is a black dog, so he's Padfoot, and James is a stag, so he's Prongs."

Minerva didn't know whether to look proud or angry, but Poppy laughed. "Well that explains _a lot_." She giggled, and Severus glared at her.

"So Voldemort is here, and he's with Quirrell." Nicholas said suddenly, with a bit of anger in his voice. "Albus knows he's here."

That brought a sudden quiet to the group, and the twins paled and gasped.

Salazar turned to his friend and nodded. "He must know. He's already told you that he knows where Voldemort is, but he wouldn't tell you _where_ he is."

"That's because he is _here_!" Nicholas spat.

"But how!?" Minerva asked.

"Possession. Voldemort is possessing Quirrell. It's really the only thing he can do, considering he is nothing more than a wraith at this point." Nicholas said, and Salazar nodded in agreement.

"That would explain the sudden turban." Severus said thoughtfully.

"And why my scar hurts when I'm around him." Salazar said, glancing up at him, and Severus nodded.

Salazar sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He honestly didn't know what to do. On one hand, this answered a lot of questions, but on the other hand, it caused more problems.

"But what do we do?" Poppy asked, as if she was reading Salazar's thoughts. "We can't let You-Know-Who run around the school!"

"We don't have a choice." Salazar said solemnly. "We can't risk a change in the status quo until we have the stone, or until we know for sure what Albus's end game is."

"We know Albus's end game." Minerva spat. "To place a, seemingly, eleven year old child up against one of the darkest wizards of our age."

"We have a decision to make though." Severus said abruptly, glaring at the twins. "Detention until they graduate, loss of points, loss of Hogsmeade visits, and whatever else I can think up."

"Use them for potions ingredients." Salazar said with a chuckle, which made the twins' eyes widen in alarm.

"Intriguing…" Snape said, purposely letting his voice trail off.

"Salazar, I won't let you do it."

"Then what do you suggest Perenelle?" He said, looking at her expectantly.

"Without these boys, we would not know what we now know. We should let them help us, if they wish, _but_ in a small capacity. They have their map, let them use it to keep an eye on Pettigrew, Quirrell, and Voldemort. The rest of you have enough going on, and you can't keep an eye on everyone. These boys have a way. It will lessen your burden."

"And what of their knowledge? They do not know Occlumency. They are children, and I cannot ask them to make an oath. They don't understand the consequences…"

"We know what oaths are." They said together.

"Our Dad taught us. We understand what they are and what they can do. We will make one, and we would love to help. We could watch the map, and let you know what they do every day."

"We won't get in the way, we promise!" They cried desperately, and Snape glared at them again.

Perenelle glanced at her husband. "Nicholas, I think this warrants a few old family spells. Salazar is right in that they are too young to make oaths, but I cannot condone them being obliviated."

"Are you sure my dear?"

"Absolutely." She said with a firm nod.

Nicholas turned to his friend and smiled. "Salazar, do you trust me?"

"Of course. Why?" He asked in a confused manner.

"I can't tell you about these spells or what they do. I know you understand family magic, and how important it is to keep it a secret. I will do something to them, it won't hurt them and it will keep all our plans and secrets safe. I just ask you to trust me."

Salazar sighed and nodded. It set him on edge as he watched the Flamels approach the twins. They waved their wands around the boys' heads, and also watched the glow that surrounded them. He _did_ trust them, it's just that he wasn't in control of the situation, and that was where the problem lay. He wasn't in control. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the spells would do, but he still didn't like the fact that the twins would know. He was all for erasing their memories and taking the map, but he did have to, begrudgingly, agree with Perenelle. They were just children.

After the Flamels were through, Minerva turned her stern glare on the twins and took fifteen points from Gryffindor. She didn't give them detention because of the new information that they had provided the adults, but she did warn them not to follow the adults again. If there was something that the twins needed to know, they would be told. They nodded their heads, and made a quick retreat out of the clearing, and headed back towards the castle.

Seeing that it was late, and everyone had classes the next day, the meeting broke up soon after that. They would keep a close eye on Quirrell/Voldemort, but Salazar did not like the fact that he was roaming around the castle, but until he could figure out what to do, he would just have to keep a sharp eye out. Nicholas, once again, promised to get a copy of the trial transcripts for Sirius Black. Especially now, seeing as he obviously did not kill Pettigrew. Salazar wasn't going to write and tell Lily and James anything just yet though. He wanted all the facts and details first.

* * *

It was Tuesday at lunch time, and it was one of the rare days when Hermione and Neville sat with Salazar at the Slytherin table. Blaise was sitting with them too, and he had been growing used to Hermione, and was surprisingly cordial towards her. Blaise had finally fully separated himself from Malfoy, and he and Salazar were just as much friends with each other as Salazar was the others. Well, as friendly as Salazar would let them be, considering they were all eleven years old.

They were all sitting at the end of the Slytherin table, and working on their charms essay and practicing the wand lighting charm. Neville however, was still practicing the levitation charm. He could get it some of the time, but mostly his feather stayed firmly planted on the table. Salazar watched him get more and more frustrated with himself, and wondered why the lad was having so many problems, and then it hit him.

_The wand choses the wizard._

His eyes widened slightly as he realized what the problem might be. He had never paid that much attention to wands and wandlore before, having never seen the reason for it, but after reading those books he bought, he was beginning to understand it more and more. He cleared his throat, and looked at Neville curiously.

"Neville, where did you get your wand?"

The frustrated boy looked up at him shyly. "It was my Dad's." He said quietly.

"Let me ask you, when the first time you touched it, did you get a tingly feeling? Did it feel like the wand sort of bonded with you?" He asked gently.

"N-no. Why? Was it supposed too?"

"Mine did." Hermione said.

"So did mine." Blaise offered.

Salazar nodded. "Ollivander told me that the wand chooses the wizard, and I wanted to know what that meant so I read up on the subject. If your wand didn't choose you, that might be why you are having so many problems. It's not you or your magic, it's the wand you're trying to use."

"But my Gram wanted me to use this one." He said, staring at the table. "She wouldn't buy me my own. She said that if this one was good enough for my Dad, then it's good enough for me."

"She wouldn't let you get your own wand?" Salazar asked in shock, and Neville nodded. "All it's doing is keeping you from your full potential. Do you think if you wrote to her and told her this that she would take you to get one of your own?"

Neville shook his head again. "She won't listen to me."

Salazar wanted to roll his eyes, but he was well aware of who Neville was and what happened to his parents. He also knew of Augusta Longbottom and knew the woman was rather…harsh.

"All she is doing is hindering your studies and learning ability. You're not a squib Neville. I know that's what _some_ people call you because you can't do a lot of magic. It's not you, it's that wand." He said pointing towards the thing. Then he pulled his other wand out of his robe. "This one has already bonded with me, but give it a try. It can't be any worse than the one you have."

Neville nodded and took the wand carefully. When he touched it, it gave off a few weak sparks, but Neville eyes widened.

"It feels sort of better. It kind of tickled, but not anything like what you all said." Then he pointed it at the feather. "Wingardium Leviosa!" He cried, and watched happily as the feather rose a few inches off the table. "It worked! I didn't have to try as hard!"

"Well it is not a perfect match, but it will work for now. You can use that one until you get a proper one that fits you. As a matter of fact, come with me. Let's go talk to Professor McGonagall. Maybe she can make your Gram see reason." Salazar said, standing up and motioning for Neville to follow.

Neville paled, but got up and nervously followed him over to the head table. Salazar apologized to Minerva for interrupting her conversation with Professor Sprout, but then he explained what was going on.

Minerva smiled at them. "I will speak with your Grandmother Mr. Longbottom, and we will try to get her to see reason."

"If I may Professor, can you encourage her to also speak with Mr. Ollivander? Perhaps if she hears it from a wand maker, she would be better persuaded."

"I can do that Mr. Potter." She said with a nod.

"Thank you ma'am. Also, my other wand works better for him than his father's old one, but it's still not a perfect match. It is alright with me if Neville uses it, seeing as I don't really need it." He said, saying the last part a bit loudly, and pointedly. He had to force himself to keep a straight face when he saw Dumbledore frown at him.

Minerva's mouth twitched, but she too kept the smile from appearing. "I think that is fine for the time being." She said, before turning to Neville. "Is this arrangement all right with you Mr. Longbottom?"

"Yes ma'am." He said with a grateful smile.

"Very well, I will owl Augusta tonight and explain the situation, and I expect to see some improvement in my class."

"Thank you Professor!" Neville exclaimed happily. "And I will try my hardest!"

They turned around to head back to the Slytherin table, and then they heard a loud screech. Salazar looked up quickly to see what had happened, but Hermione was grinning wildly.

"That's a terrific idea!" She exclaimed.

Fred and George were now sitting at the table, and they were also grinning, but theirs was more of a mischievous grin. Salazar raised an eyebrow at them, but Hermione jumped up, ran over to Salazar, and dragged him back to the head table. Fred, George, and Blaise followed looking somewhat excited at whatever Hermione was so enthusiastic about.

"Headmaster, is it hard to learn?"

Albus looked at her somewhat quizzically. "Is what hard to learn Miss Granger?"

"Parseltongue!" She exclaimed breathlessly. "Fred and George mentioned that you said you could understand it, but not speak it. Is it hard to learn?"

Albus looked slightly taken aback, but then he smiled warmly. "It is not hard to learn once you learn the basics of the speech, but it is difficult at first."

"You have to teach us Harry!" She said with a big grin, as she rounded on him. "Please! You have to teach us. It would be so wonderful!"

Salazar looked at her in surprise, and then looked at all the others. Fred and George looked quite proud of themselves, and once again, Salazar felt like throttling them. His scar however, was suddenly starting to hurt, but he tried not to let it show.

_"Speaker, it would give me more people to talk to. You can be boring sometimes."_ Nora said, as she looked over at him.

Blaise, who had been holding her, looked up at him. "What did she say?"

"That it would give her more people to talk to because I can be boring. The thing is though, I don't think you all would ever be able to speak it, just understand it. Parseltongue is a gift, and it can't be taught…"

"But how do you know?" Hermione demanded.

"Because I read a book written by Salazar Slytherin. There is one in the library that tells you all about Parseltongue." He said, knowing full well that it was still in there. "It says it can be understood, but one can't speak it unless they have the gift."

"Oh." Hermione said slowly. "But can you still teach us to understand it? Please! I think it would be fascinating! Nora can understand English, and we could still talk to her!"

_"I think it's a great idea."_ Nora said a bit too happily. _"I like Bushy, Bottom, Zabby, and the Minions. I would like them to understand me. Do this Speaker, or I will bite you." _

Salazar snorted, but his scar was becoming a bit unbearable. He knew that Voldemort must not be happy with this. Especially because Hermione was a muggle born. He looked at the twins who were both grinning at him, then at Neville, Blaise, and Hermione, who looked hopeful, and he sighed in defeat.

"Alright, I'll try."

"Thank you Harry!" Hermione cried as she flung her arms around him. He almost fell over backwards from the force, but he managed to stay upright.

He patted her back awkwardly, but smiled when she let go of him. "But I suggest you all read the book. It's called, Understanding Your Gift by Salazar Slytherin. It is a short book, but once you _all_ have read it, I'll start trying to teach you. You won't be able to speak it, but it is possible for you to understand it." He repeated as he winced and rubbed his scar.

Voldemort was apparently _not_ happy with this decision.

"Great!" Hermione exclaimed. "I'll go check it out straight away, and we can all pass it around to each other. Accio Hermione's bag!" She cried loudly, and her bag zoomed from the Slytherin table into her hand. "I'll see you all later!"

They all watched her run out of the great hall at top speed with amused expressions on their faces. Fred and George kept grinning at him, Blaise and Neville started discussing the possibilities, and Minerva and Poppy were trying not to laugh. Albus looked a bit amused, Severus was trying to remain neutral, but Quirrell looked down right angry.

Salazar just laughed and looked at the twins. "Did you two put her up to this?"

"We may have…"

"…planted the idea." They said with sheepish grins.

Salazar shook his head. "The two of you are more Slytherin than you realize. You do know that, don't you?"

Fred and George feigned shock, disgust, and anger, but then they grinned. "Well honestly, the hat said we have the potential to do well in both Gryffindor and Slytherin, but we begged for Gryffindor." Fred said.

"Yeah, we didn't want to be disowned. You've seen how our Mum is."

"Yeah, I have." Salazar said with a sigh. "But you two owe me for this."

"We know." They said in unison. Then they grinned, gave Salazar a mock bow, and retreated to the Gryffindor table.

Salazar laughed, shook his head, and turned to Blaise and Neville. "Well I suppose we better finish our lunch." He said, though he winced and rubbed his scar again. He needed to distance himself from Quirrell.

"Are you ok Harry?" Blaise asked.

"Yeah, just a bit of a headache."

"Do you need a headache potion Mr. Potter?" Poppy asked, looking at his scar with concern.

"No ma'am. I think I'll be alright, but thank you for asking."

She nodded, though she still looked worried. Salazar turned and headed back to the Slytherin table. His scar didn't stop hurting for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

_"I think this will be fun. I get more people to talk to. Speaker, you have done well."_

Salazar chuckled and shook his head. He and Blaise were sitting in the common room trying to do homework. Nora had been chatty all day, but he knew it was because she was excited. She truly did think teaching the children to understand Parseltongue was a good idea. Salazar had admitted that there was no harm in it, other than angering Voldemort, which could be a potential problem and he said as much.

_"Morty will get over it." _She huffed. _"What is he going to do, starting killing people?"_

_"He might, if he gets angry enough, and he would likely start with Hermione. He's not the type that would be pleased with a muggle born learning the language."_

That seemed to quiet her for a minute, but then she spoke up again.

_"Are you mad at the Minions?" _

_"No, I'm not. I'm just surprised that they would want to learn it. The language is feared, and for four Gryffindors and a Slytherin to want to learn it is unheard of."_

_"Have you ever taught anyone to understand it before?" _She asked curiously.

He nodded and smiled. _"Yes. Godric, Rowena, and Helga, along with Nicholas and Perenelle."_

_"I should have known."_

Salazar chuckled, but then looked up to find Blaise staring at them thoughtfully, but Blaise smiled sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, I was just trying to listen. I hope that doesn't seem rude. Is she always talking when she hisses, or is it only part of the time?"

"Only some of the time." Salazar answered. "If she is just hissing and not speaking, then it will be a long hiss without interruption, and it will be at a constant level. If she is mad, it will be loud, if she's not, it will be much softer. You can tell when she is speaking if the hissing is choppy."

_"Right now I'm speaking."_ Nora said, looking at Blaise.

"She said, 'right now I'm speaking', listen closely. Nora, can you repeat that?"

She did, and Blaise stared at her intently. Then she hissed loudly, which seemed to startle the others who were sitting around them, but then she hissed softly.

"Yeah, I can see what you mean by it being choppy. There is a difference." Blaise said with a nod.

_"I think I'm going to like this. We can name the class-Learning to Speak with Nora, the Deadliest Snake in the World. You can just translate." _

Salazar laughed loudly and repeated what Nora said, which made Blaise chuckle.

"And what if they fail the class?" Salazar asked, already knowing what the answer would be.

_"I will bite them."_ She answered.

"You are predictable my dear." Salazar said, as he laughed again and patted her on the head.

"What happens if we fail?" Blaise asked.

Salazar laughed again. "She said she will bite you."

Blaise's eyes widened in sudden alarm, but Salazar shook his head and laughed. "She threatens to bite everyone, even me, but the only person she has ever bitten is Ron Weasley."

_"He didn't taste like vegetables though. He tasted like chicken."_

Salazar didn't know what to say to that, so he just laughed and told Blaise what she said. When Blaise finally stopped laughing, he said, "That's what people say snakes taste like."

_"WHAT!? How dare they?! Who are these people that eat snakes Zabby!? I will bite them! Let them try to eat me. I dare them. They will find out, just like Pigeon did, that I don't go down easy!" _She yelled, as she slithered back and forth across the table in front of them.

"I won't let anyone eat you, I promise." Salazar said, as Blaise leaned back to get away from the clearly agitated snake.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have said that."

"Perhaps not." Salazar said, still laughing. "I'll tell you this though, when you learn to understand Parseltongue, you will laugh just as hard as I do."

Nora settled down and began grumbling to herself, but several of the people sitting near them eyed them carefully, especially Draco.

"Who would want to learn to understand snakes? It seems pretty pointless to me, especially if a mudblood is wanting to learn. Hey Potter, are you going to celebrate Halloween with us, or are you going to mope around crying about dear old Mummy and Daddy?" The blond asked loudly.

Salazar laughed at him. "Well, considering that I never knew my parents, it really doesn't bother me much. Now, why don't you shut up and go away."

"How dare you talk to me that way!? You need to learn your place Potter! Wait until my father hears about this!" Draco yelled, as he pulled out his wand, and Salazar sighed and shook his head.

Severus had told Salazar what Lucius said about him. He nearly laughed himself silly when he learned that they thought he was Voldemort, and he was willing to run with that advantage until he no longer had it.

"Draco, I absolutely can't wait until your father hears about this. As a matter of fact, I think I'll write to him myself and tell him all about it. However, I advise you to think before you point that wand at me. You won't like the consequences." Salazar said sternly.

"And what are you going to do about it Potter?" Draco sneered, as the idiot boy did just that.

_"Grab his wand hand and hold him there until I say, but don't swallow him."_

Unfortunately for Draco, he was standing in front of one of the many snake statues in the common room. Any parselmouth could command them, if they figured out the secret of course. It was one of the many unique things Salazar loved about his design for the room. He wasn't sure how many of his descendants, one in particular, had figured it out, but that wasn't the real issue right now as far as he was concerned.

Draco however, didn't see the snake until it was too late. It was slightly amusing to see him start screaming like a girl as it slithered into position, and clamped down on his wand and hand. The snake statue held him in place, and no matter how much Draco jerked and fought with it, it wasn't going to let go. Crabbe and Goyle tried to pull his hand out, but Draco started yelling at the two idiots and said that they were going to rip his arm off if they didn't quit. Several of the older students tried casting blasting curses, but that didn't do any good either, seeing as the statues were charmed to withstand that kind of damage.

Nearly everyone in the common room was laughing at the spectacle. Salazar however, just calmly sat there watching. This continued on for several minutes until one of the prefects came back in with Severus, Minerva, Albus, and the ever present Quirrell. Salazar chuckled, and shook his head. He was beginning to think that Albus stuck close to the man because of who he was carrying around with him.

The room hushed, except for a few snickers and snorts at the still struggling Draco, but for the most part, it was quiet.

All three of the adults looked at Salazar at once, but he just shrugged. "Draco was acting like a Gryffindor again." He said, and several people started laughing once more. "I do intend to write to his father though, clearly his behavior won't straighten up if I don't."

He knew Severus would get the meaning of that, but it was still slightly amusing to see his facial expression. Quirrell was staring wide eyed at the scene, and Minerva and Albus looked astonished.

"Harry, what is the meaning of this?"

"Draco threatened me...again. He mocked the death of my parents, and I told him to behave himself, but he is as thick headed as Ron Weasley, and I…"

"Shut up Potter! I am nothing like that blood traitor!" Draco yelled. "Now get this thing off me!"

"No. Maybe if I leave you there all night it will teach you some manners."

"Now Harry, you can't go around animating statues and have them attack people you don't like." Albus said in his best grandfatherly voice.

"I didn't animate it." He, sort of, lied. "I just told it what to do in Parseltongue. Apparently old man Slytherin charmed them so that Parselmouths could do that. I actually discovered it by accident one night."

Quirrell's eyes became larger than galleons, and Salazar knew that Voldemort never discovered that little secret.

"And I didn't do it because I don't like him." He continued. "I did it because he drew his wand on me. I warned him he wouldn't like the consequences, but like any Gryffindor, he didn't listen."

This caused several people to snicker again, but one look from Severus was enough to make them become quiet again. However, several people in the common room did confirm what Salazar said was the truth.

"Will someone tell him to release me?!" Draco demanded, as he tried once again to pull his hand out of the snake's mouth.

"I swear, Malfoys have no manners." Salazar said, shaking his head. "Say please and I'll consider it."

"Now Potter!" Draco screamed.

"No, and I don't care if I get detention from now until I graduate. I'm not letting you go until you stop demanding things, and show some manners by asking nicely and saying please." Salazar said with a smirk.

"I'm not apologizing to a filthy half-blood!"

Salazar started laughing loudly and _very_ obnoxiously. The absurdity of the supposed 'insult' was indeed hysterical, considering Voldemort was a half-blood. He snuck a quick glance in Quirrell's direction and noticed that he was smirking himself, and unbelievably, that just made Salazar laugh even harder. However, Salazar wasn't about to reveal that information just yet. He would need the 'time' to 'study' family trees and 'stumble' upon that bit of information. He would bide his time…for now.

"Forgive me, but seeing as Draco would blurt that out in a room that has nearly half as many half-bloods as pure-bloods, I find that hysterical, and as I have mentioned before…_brave _and _Gryffindorish_. Is there a way to have Malfoy resorted?" Salazar asked hopefully and innocently, and Draco looked around uncertainly, and found that many in the house were glaring daggers at him.

"Wait until my…!"

"…father hears about this." Salazar said with a sigh while rolling his eyes. "Yes Draco, we know. I have already told you that he will. I will personally write him and tell him about this."

"My father won't listen to you!" He screamed.

"Is that what you _really_ believe?" Salazar asked, purposely lowering his voice so that it was cold and slightly commanding. He was pleased to see that Draco suddenly became still, and the boy looked slightly afraid.

"Harry, there is no need to write to Mr. Malfoy. I'm sure Severus will take care of that." Albus said.

Salazar made a snap decision and decided to put Severus on his toes. Besides, he needed some information and this would hopefully give it to him. "Do you really think Professor Snape is going to say anything that is _true_? He hates me! He'd feed me to a _griffin_ before he actually stuck up for me!" He shouted, and he noticed a slight bit of…hope?...in the Headmaster's eyes.

_So you DO want me to find the griffin._ Salazar thought with triumph.

"POTTER!" Severus shouted. "How dare you! Let Mr. Malfoy go NOW!"

"NO!" Salazar yelled back equally as loud. "No one but me can release him, unless you happen to have another Parselmouth laying around somewhere. I'm not letting him go until he apologizes to me, and every other half-blood in this room!"

Salazar knew that everyone was now thinking _he_ was the one acting like a Gryffindor, but Severus, and probably Minerva, knew exactly what he was doing.

Severus gritted his teeth. "Mr. Malfoy, it seems that Potter has us all in a bind, and it would behoove you to apologize, or else the insolent brat…"

"Professor Snape!" Minerva yelled in warning.

"Forgive me Deputy Headmistress." He spat. "Or else _Potter_ will let you stand there and rot."

"No!" Draco yelled in defiance, and Salazar chuckled at how easy Draco was making this. He knew Malfoy would rather die than apologize to some 'beneath' him.

"All I'm trying to do is teach a lesson in manners." Salazar said with a smirk, and threw his hands up in the air in mock frustration.

"_Manners_?" Severus spat. "Yet you sit there and purposely defy authority?"

"Defy authority?" Salazar asked. "Other than yourself, when has either Professor Dumbledore, McGonagall, or Quirrell asked me to release him? Answer, never. If you had asked without yelling at me, I would have done it. Do you also need a lesson in manners?" He asked with an innocent smile.

Albus, Minerva, and Quirrell all chuckled, which made Severus start seething, and he was doing an excellent job at making spittle fly out of his mouth while doing it. Salazar also knew that he would never have gotten away with this if both Minerva and Severus didn't know who he was. Albus was somewhat predictable, and Voldemort wasn't about to take a chance and reveal himself by asking the statue to release Draco.

"Furthermore," Salazar continued, "I can't see any of you _bowing _to the _demands_ coming from Malfoy. He has done nothing but _demand_ you to tell me to release him. Personally, I think he needs this lesson in manners, don't you?"

"I think M-Mr. P-P-Potter is right. M-Mr. M-Malfoy needs a-a lesson in m-manners."

Salazar was honestly _not_ stunned by this, seeing how Voldemort treated his Death Eaters, so Salazar decided to shake up Albus's little world just a bit.

"Thank you Professor Quirrell. It seems we think alike. I appreciate your support."

"A-Any time M-Mr. P-P-Potter." He said with a smile.

Salazar saw Albus stiffen immediately, and smirked internally.

"Shut up you stuttering fool!" Malfoy yelled, and suddenly Salazar's scar exploded in pain.

He gasped at the suddenness of it, but was able to cover it with surprise at Draco defying a Professor so blatantly. He wasn't the only one though, as nearly the whole house's eyes widened in shock. Quirrell however, looked murderous and Salazar saw him reach for his wand. Albus and Severus saw it too, and Albus stepped between them, while Severus quickly reached for his wand, but thankfully didn't draw it.

"Mr. Malfoy, apologize for your words and actions here tonight, or you will find yourself in detention for the rest of the year." Albus said angrily.

Draco glared at him, but a short, quick nod from Severus made him grit his teeth. "Fine." Draco spat. "Potter, I'm sorry for drawing my wand on you, and I'm sorry for calling you and all the other half-bloods filthy. Also, I'm sorry for calling Professor Quirrell a stuttering fool." He said with forced politeness.

"Apology accepted Malfoy." Salazar said nonchalantly, as the pain from his scar lessened slightly. _"Release him."_

The statue immediately let go and moved back into its original position. Draco breathed a sigh of relief as he flexed his hand and inspected it, and his wand, for damage. Then he turned around and glared at Salazar before stalking out of the room towards the dorm.

"Harry, I would like to see you in my office immediately after breakfast in the morning. To the rest of you, I suggest heading to bed. It's late." Albus said sternly.

Salazar wasn't surprised about this as he watched the Professors leave, but he gathered up Nora and his homework, and headed for the dorm.

* * *

***A/N* Ok, i think i need to explain a few things about this chapter, so please forgive me. This chapter is somewhat of a filler chapter, and i apologize for that, but it does have it purposes. With the knowledge that Salazar now has, things are going to start moving a little faster. I want to try and get Neville a new wand, because he is important to the story and i cant have him running around with a wand that doesnt work. Salazar realizing the problem was intentional (on my part), and to me it makes sense that the holly and phoenix wand would sort of work for Neville, seeing as he was the other potential candidate for the prophecy. I hope that makes sense to you all as well. As for Dumbledore manipulating the wand thing for Salazar, well you'll just have to wait and see!**

**Also, the whole 'teaching the kids Parseltongue thing' is important, especially when we get into second year. Please dont flame for it. According to Harry Potter wiki, JK Rowling admitted that Dumbledore _does_ understand Parseltongue. (She admitted it in a chat session which i have read.) If Dumbledore can learn it, Salazar teaching it to the kids is possible. Not to mention, it adds to the 'manipulative Dumbledore thing'. But more about that in second year!**

**Another thing, please dont flame me for the whole Draco thing. There is a reason for it that will be addressed later in the story. I can honestly see canon Draco pulling a wand on someone and threatening them in the Slytherin common room, because he would think he has enough back up to pull it off. It's just that he doesnt realize who he is _really_ dealing with in my story. Also, i think Canon Draco really does need a lesson in manners!  
**

**Anyway, this A/N is nearly as long as the chapter so i will end it! LOL Please leave me a review and let me know what you think! The story will pick up now, and up next is the race for the stone, the troll, and other things! So, with that, i'll see you all next time! Thank you so much to those who have F, F, & R'd! You guys are awesome! I ❤ you all!**


	13. Mirrors, Stones, and Trolls

**Chapter 13**

**Mirrors, Stones, and Trolls**

Salazar woke up the next morning feeling like he hadn't slept all. He had a massive headache curtesy of Voldemort's bad mood, and he really wished his Heir would stop pouting. It wasn't doing anyone any good.

He stumbled around the dorm as he got ready for the day, and decided to go see Poppy before breakfast. He wasn't sure if a headache potion would do him any good, but there was no hurt in finding out. Besides, he had Defense class first thing this morning and it was going to be rough.

With bleary eyes, he somehow managed to make it to the hospital wing and found Poppy going about her morning routine, but she looked at him closely as he walked over to her.

"You look like you haven't slept at all." She observed.

"I didn't." He answered, with a slight smile. "I think I'm going to take you up on your offer, though I don't know if it will help in this case."

She smiled sympathetically and walked over to the cabinet that held all her potions, and plucked a blue from its resting place.

"Bottoms up." He said with a hopeful smile, and drank it one gulp.

He knew the potion was supposed to have instant effects, but he waited for a moment and was relieved to note that it did lessen the headache slightly.

"It worked, but it's not totally gone. May I have another one? Perhaps the combined effects will get rid of it."

"I don't know about that." She said hesitantly. "It's not good to take two headache potions at the same time. I'm sure you know that it could cause worse problems."

"It's not going to kill me Poppy." He said with a tired chuckle.

"I realize that, but what if it knocks you out or poisons you? You might not be able to die, but you're not immune to pain, sickness, and other complications. I won't give it to you. I'm sorry." She said with a firm, yet sympathetic tone.

He glared at her, but then he sighed in defeat. "Alright."

"Come see me after lunch. We can try again."

Salazar nodded. "Very well. Thank you Poppy."

She nodded, and Salazar headed back out into the corridor. There was still an hour before breakfast, so he decided to return to the spot where he and the others had met Nicholas and Perenelle a few nights before. He wanted a little peace and quiet, not to mention, it would put more distance between himself and Quirrell. There was a special reason why he had chosen that spot, but no one else needed to know that.

With a sigh, he glanced around to make sure that the corridor was deserted, then he cast the disillusionment charm on himself and began heading towards the forest.

* * *

Minerva's eyes flitted around the great hall. Breakfast was almost over, but there was no sign of Salazar anywhere. She had something really important to tell him, and it regarded the stone. Albus had finally put it in place last night, after Quirrell/Voldemort had finally found a troll, so now the final 'protection' was in place. Minerva however, was not the only person to realize he was missing.

"I wonder where Mr. Potter is this morning. He never misses breakfast." Professor Sprout commented.

"He came to me early this morning." Poppy answered. "He looked like he hadn't slept all night and said he had a headache, so I gave him a headache potion. He left without saying anything to me about where he was going."

"He's probably trying to avoid speaking with the Headmaster about his little stunt in the common room last night. It wouldn't be the first time a Potter…"

"Severus, that's enough." Albus said. "If Mr. Potter doesn't show up, I'll go look for him."

Severus sneered at him, but he looked at Minerva and Poppy and shook his head in 'disgust'. When Minerva nodded back, he knew she got the message. He hadn't seen Salazar either.

"I'm sure the brat is fine. Potter goes missing for one meal and everyone becomes all flustered." Severus said rolling his eyes.

In truth he really didn't see what the fuss was about. Salazar _was _capable of taking care of himself after all. However, if his scar was hurting him it might be a problem, seeing as they didn't know much about it yet. All they knew was that it was a horcrux and that it hurt when Voldemort was near.

"He knows I want to speak with him this morning. I'm sure he will turn up." Albus said confidently.

Then, when no one was looking, Albus smiled to himself. He knew exactly where Harry was.

* * *

"I can't. I can't come with you. You were right, and I was foolish. I should have listened to you. Please forgive me." Salazar begged through his tears.

He had been on his way to the forest when a noise in an empty classroom on the first floor caught his attention. He went in to investigate and found a large mirror sitting in the back. At first he didn't think anything of it and started to turn away from it, until he caught sight of Godric in the mirror. It wasn't only Godric though. Helga and Rowena were there as well, and they were all standing around in the clearing in the forest, only the clearing wasn't as empty as it seemed.

Their gravestones were in plain view now.

That is what Salazar saw as he looked into the Mirror of Erised. Godric, Helga, and Rowena standing beside their graves in the forest. They were beckoning to him, and trying to get him to join them, but no matter how hard Salazar tried, he couldn't. There was even a gravestone with his name on it, but he couldn't get to them. He clung to mirror and tried to jump in it, but he couldn't. No matter what he tried to do, he couldn't join them. He wondered if it was real, but he didn't dare to hope. All he knew though, was that he wanted to join them. So he kept trying.

That's how Albus found him when he walked into the classroom just after lunch. Harry hadn't been seen all morning, and his Professors were becoming very worried now. He had placed a few charms on the room so only Harry could find it and so no one else would disturb the boy, so Albus decided to go and get him versus waiting for Harry to show up on his own. When Albus walked in though, he found Harry clinging to the mirror and trying to jump into it.

"I want to join you! Please just take me with you!" Salazar cried, as tears poured down his face. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I _do _want to die! I want to join you in death! I want to talk to you! I want to see you all face to face! Please! Take me with you!"

Albus's eyes widened in shock and fright and he ran over to the struggling 'boy' and yanked him away from the mirror. That was not how he expected to find Harry, and the boy's words frightened him. He thought he would just be calmly sitting in front looking at his parents, but clearly he was wrong.

"Harry! _Harry!_" Albus cried, trying to shake the boy back to his senses. "It's just a mirror Harry. It's alright. Shush now." Albus said, trying to hug the struggling child and bring him to his chest in the hope of calming him down.

But Salazar was having none of that.

He began to fight Albus, and tried to scramble back to the mirror, but Albus finally had to tie him up in ropes. Then he sat Salazar down in a chair, and didn't release him until he calmed down a little.

"What is that thing?" Salazar asked through gritted teeth as he stood up and brushed off his robes. His head was pounding from the combination of all the crying and carrying on and Voldemort, so needless to say, his patience was about at an end.

"It's called the Mirror of Erised. It shows the deepest desires of our hearts." Albus explained, as he looked at the shaking boy. "You saw your family, didn't you?"

Salazar felt like hexing the man, but seeing as he was calming down and starting to regain some of his senses back, he decided to play along and see if there was anything he could find out.

He nodded. "Yes sir, I did. Can everyone see what I saw in it?"

"No." Dumbledore said gently. "Everyone sees something different, and if someone had been with you, they couldn't have seen what you saw. Only one person at a time can use the mirror."

Salazar let out a breath of relief, but tried to pass it off as still being winded from all of his crying and carrying on. The last thing he needed was a stupid mirror blowing his cover.

"Oh." Salazar said quietly.

"Harry, do you really want to die?"

Salazar sighed. It was time to use some acting skills. "I don't know sir. So far my life has been hell on earth, but I know I'm young and still have a life ahead of me. I do want to be with my family though."

"You're conflicted." Albus stated.

"Yes sir. I think so."

"It is understandable. Tell me Harry, what do you want out of life?"

Salazar wondered what kind of question that was, but decided to see where this led.

"I don't know really, but I know I like to teach." He said, deciding to stick with what he told Blaise a few weeks ago. "I've always liked teaching. Things just come naturally to me, and I like to help people out if they need it." He said with a shrug.

"I think that is admirable." Albus said with a smile. "Hold on to that and maybe one day you can be a Professor here. Teaching is a very rewarding thing you know."

For the first time ever, Salazar gave Albus a genuine smile. "I like the sound of that. I guess that is something I can look forward too."

"Indeed." Albus said, as his eyes twinkled. "You learn at a very remarkable rate, and if you keep going like you are, you will reach your goals, and also, you will have a better life."

Salazar nodded, but then he looked at Albus uncertainly. "Sir, I'm sorry about last night."

"I will be honest with you Harry. Some of the things you do leave me a little unnerved. Blood magic, using statues to 'teach manners', and certain things you talk about. Such as power, knowledge, and dealing with your enemies. It brings to mind another boy that walked these halls years ago. It didn't turn out to well for him, and I don't want to see you end up like him."

Salazar was almost sure he knew who the 'other boy' was and started to ask, but his stomach rumbled loudly.

Albus smiled. "Well, we can talk about that another day. You have missed both breakfast and lunch. How are you feeling? Madam Pomfrey mentioned you went to see her this morning."

Salazar was shocked to hear how long he had been here, but he tried to not let it show. "Honestly sir, I feel like I have been run over. I guess all of my carrying on made my headache come back. I'm also real tired because I didn't sleep good last night."

"I see. Go and visit Madam Pomfrey then. Tell her I sent you, and that you need to be looked over and fed some lunch. I'll inform your Professors that you won't be attending class today. Get some rest."

"Yes sir, and what about the Mirror sir?" Salazar asked, as he looked at it and shivered. He really didn't want a student to find that thing. Who knows what it could do to someone else.

Albus looked at him with concern. "Harry, don't worry about The Mirror of Erised. It has been known to drive people much older and stronger than you to the brink of insanity. It will be moved to the third floor in a few days, but I ask you to never look for it again. I would hate for you to fall under its spell again." Albus said, with a twinkle in his eye.

Salazar wanted to ask the obvious 'then what the hell is it doing here in the first place' question, but he decided to just leave it be. Especially before he hexed the man.

"I understand sir." Salazar said, also not missing the 'slip' of its next location.

"Very well Harry. Go visit Madam Pomfrey now. Off you go." Albus said gently, shooing him towards the door.

Salazar nodded, stood up slowly, and headed to see Poppy…again.

* * *

Poppy glared at Salazar as he entered the hospital wing for the second time that day looking bedraggled, but then she sighed, pointed to one of the beds, and went to her potions cabinet.

"Let's try a pain potion this time." She said, handing him a yellow potion. "And where in the world have you been?"

Salazar drank the potion before he looked at her. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He said, then he shook his head. "This one got rid of everything else, except my scar pain, but I do think Voldemort may have calmed down now. It's only a dull ache and I think I can live with that."

"You need rest."

"I agree." He answered tiredly, as Poppy steered him to one of the beds.

"Minerva has something very important to tell you, but she's in the middle of classes so it will have to wait until later. Do you want to eat, or do you just want to sleep?"

"Just sleep for now." He said, as he stepped behind the curtain to change into the hospital clothes she had handed to him. "Will you wake me up in time for dinner though?"

"I will, and I'll let the children know how you are doing if they come looking for you."

"Thank you." He said gratefully, as he laid down.

Poppy checked him over with her wand to make sure we was truly alright, and she smiled when her scans showed nothing out of the ordinary, with the exception of being exhausted. Then she shuffled away quietly when another student came in.

_"Speaker, if you ever scare me like that again, I will bite you." _Nora said as she settled down beside his pillow. _"You weren't listening to me. I couldn't get your attention, and that scared me."_

_"I'm so sorry my dear. I couldn't help it." _He answered sleepily.

_"You must be more careful in the future."_

_"I plan on it."_ He said, as sleep finally engulfed him.

* * *

"So the stone is in place?" Salazar asked, as he looked up from his dinner plate.

Minerva and Severus had come into the hospital wing after they had finished their own meal, and Minerva looked relieved to finally be able to tell him. Salazar had been awake for about an hour already, though Poppy had to wake him up. She hadn't wanted to, but she knew he needed to eat something.

"Yes, it was placed last night, but Albus told all of us who are protecting it after lunch this afternoon."

"So Voldemort knows." Salazar said simply, as he took a bite of his potatoes.

Both her and Severus nodded. "It's in the last room in the underground chambers. Albus has not said if his protection is in place, or what it is." Severus added.

"I'll go and get it tonight after curfew. Have the twins track my progress on the map as a precaution, if they can. I have noticed that the map is not anywhere near complete though, so I may disappear and reappear quite often. When I contact James, I will ask how they made the map, and then we can see about truly completing it."

_"The Minions will enjoy that."_ Nora said as she peered at him from the foot of the bed. _"They like sneaking around."_

"Indeed they do my dear." Salazar laughed, then repeated what Nora said. "If it's alright with you Poppy, I'll stay here tonight. It will be easier to get around and I won't have to worry about my dorm mates."

"I'm fine with that." She said with a smile. "And I think it's the first time someone volunteered to be here, verses me having to force them." She laughed.

"I do believe you're right." Minerva chuckled.

Salazar also laughed. "Tell the twins to give me one hour. If I'm not back in this bed in one hour, they need to alert you." He said looking towards Minerva. "That should give me time to get the stone, put it in the safe place, and get back here. Severus, have an invigorating draught for them in the morning. It's important that they are not tired tomorrow, seeing as we have classes." He said, and Severus nodded.

"What areas should I tell the Weasleys to focus on?" Minerva asked.

"Tell them the hospital wing, seventh floor, and the grounds by the front gate. I don't think the underground chambers are on the map." He answered, and she nodded in understanding.

"What happens once the stone is safe?" Poppy asked.

"Then we can relax and have some fun, and I will teach you all how to manipulate an old manipulative Gryffindor." Salazar said with a grin.

"I'm looking forward to it." Minerva said with a smile.

"As am I." Severus smirked.

Salazar continued to grin at them as his plate disappeared. Things were about to get a lot more interesting at Hogwarts.

* * *

Shortly after midnight, Salazar cast a disillusionment charm on himself and began making his way up to the seventh floor via a few shortcuts. It only took him about five minutes, but he finally found himself standing in a room that, in his opinion, was one of Rowena's greatest accomplishments.

The Room of Requirement.

He smiled as he glanced around the room. There wasn't anything in it right now, but that was fine. He didn't need much.

_I need a perfect replica of the Philosopher's Stone._ He thought as he stared at the ceiling, and a moment later, a red stone the size of his fist landed with a _clunk_ by his feet. He picked it up, inspected it, and grinned widely.

_Now, I need a tunnel straight into the last underground chamber. Make the exit of the tunnel invisible to those standing in the underground chamber, but allow me to look out into the room so I can observe the surroundings._

It took several minutes, but finally he heard a low rumble off to his right as a plain wooden door appeared. The he grinned at the door, and opened it.

The tunnel was dark and just big enough for him to fit into, and he needed to use his wand to light his way. Salazar knew this was going to take up much of his hour, but he wasn't prepared for how difficult it was actually going to be. The tunnel needed to snake through the walls of the castle, and at times it became so narrow that he had to turn sideways. At one point he actually had to place the stone in his mouth, set Nora on the floor, and change into his animagus form because the tunnel was so narrow and low to the ground.

About fifteen minutes later he found himself crouching at the end of the tunnel and observing the last room of the underground chambers. It looked deserted, but if there was one thing Salazar had learned over the years it was…looks can be deceiving.

The real stone was laying in the middle of the floor and was wrapped up in a dirty piece of burlap cloth. Glancing around once more, he stuck the very tip of his wand out of the exit.

"Homenum Revelio." He whispered.

He waited a few moments, and was pleased to see that the spell detected no human presence in the room. However, he wasn't done yet. He kept his wand in the same spot and began muttering incantations under his breath, but he frowned at what he found.

Which was absolutely nothing.

_What is Albus up too?_ He thought to himself. _There is no protections around the stone at all! There is no monitoring charms, alert charms, enchantments, or wards! It's just sitting there!_

Shaking his head in disgust, he cautiously stepped out of the exit and held his breath. When nothing happened, he quickly made his way over to the stone, switched the real one for the fake one, and placed the burlap cloth back in its original position. Then he made his way back into the tunnel, and back towards the Room of Requirement.

Once he was back in the main part of the castle, he began the short trip to the dungeons and towards the entrance to his personal tunnel. Wishing that he had given himself a little bit more time, he began running full speed down the dark slippery tunnel towards the front gates. This took him about five minutes, but then he popped out of the large boulder that hid the exit/entrance, slipped out the gates, and promptly apparated to his flat in Diagon Alley.

Once he was there, he sighed with relief, but then shook his head and laughed. His flat was still a mess from when he blew up his furniture several weeks before, when he had gotten his second wand. He didn't have time to repair everything though, because he was already five minutes past his hour, but he did repair his coffee table and placed the stone down on it. He would just have to warn Nicholas about the destruction in his letter.

After that he apparated back to Hogwarts, and made his way back through his tunnel. He wished he could have taken time to visit Helga, Rowena, and Godric's graves, but he knew that he didn't have the time. He made a promise to himself that he would visit them soon though.

It was 1:15am when he slid into his bed in the hospital wing, and he was thankful that the twins allowed him a few extra minutes before alerting Minerva, because there was no one waiting for him. He slid down into his bed, and promptly fell asleep. It had been a _long _day.

* * *

_My Old Friend,_

_It is done! Your property has been put in the safe place! When you get there, please excuse the destruction. I may have lost my temper a few weeks ago, and well…you know how I can be. I didn't have time to repair all the damage, so I apologize. _

_Your Old Friend_

_Me_

"Hedwig, please take this to my friend." Salazar whispered, as he looked at her hoping she would understand.

She hooted knowingly, took a sip of his juice, and flew off.

It was Halloween morning and Salazar was in a pretty good mood. It felt like a large weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he smiled as he thought about what to do next. Since the stone was now safe, his attention turned to the next problem...Voldemort. What to do about him?

Salazar wasn't exactly sure what to do, other than stand up in the middle of the great hall and shout that Voldemort was in the back of Quirrell's head and that Dumbledore had known all along. Which could get a lot of people killed, if Voldemort decided to start casting killing curses in all directions. He knew he had to get the maniac out of the castle though, especially before Voldemort found out the stone was gone. He certainly wasn't going to be happy to find out that it was, and there was no telling what he would do then.

For now though, Salazar was content to take a step back and just enjoy the quiet. Voldemort wasn't going to do anything for the time being, because he wouldn't want to jeopardize his chances and risk being exposed, but the problem couldn't be ignored for long. Salazar knew he had to come up with something soon.

The morning and afternoon passed fairly quickly, and classes went along as normal. He saw people giving him a few stares, and heard a lot of whispering about him, but he paid it no mind. There was always going to be talk about what happened on this day. A few people even came up and thanked him, and a few more said that they were sorry that Lily and James had died. Salazar took it all in stride and smiled, nodded, and thanked them for remembering the sacrifices that were made that night. He vowed that when all of this was over and Voldemort was gone for good that he would publically honor Mitzy and Fripsy, and tell the world what the two elves had done for the wizarding world.

Aside from the very few who remembered what happened ten years ago, the main talk of the day was the feast that was going to be held that night. From what Salazar could gather, it was going to be 'brilliant'. He had no reason to think otherwise though, Halloween at Hogwarts was always something special.

* * *

As he walked into the great hall that evening, Salazar smiled at the sight. The great hall was decorated with giant floating pumpkins, live bats were fluttering around the room, and rumor had it that the Hogwarts ghosts were going to be flying in formation and singing them a song. Nora was in awe, and even she commented on what a wonderful job had been done.

The feast got underway and everyone was chatting and eating, but about halfway through Quirrell came running into the great hall looking terrified about something. Salazar didn't have to wait long to figure out why.

"Headmaster! Headmaster! Troll! There is a-a-a troll in the dungeon! I-I tried…I t-t-tried…to contain it…got loose…couldn't…" Quirrell started screaming, but then he fainted.

Instant chaos erupted around the great hall as students started screaming. Dumbledore had to fire several blasts from his wand to get everyone's attention, but finally some sort of order was restored and the students all turned towards him.

"All students are to return to your dormitories! Prefects, you are to lead them there! All Professors are to follow me to the dungeons!"

Panic gripped Salazar's insides as everyone made for the doors, and it wasn't until they were halfway to the Slytherin common room that Salazar realized what a stupid mistake this was. If the troll was in the dungeons, then they were heading right towards it!

_Why in the hell didn't I think of that before we left the great hall! _He scolded himself.

The entire house was in one long line, and Salazar was somewhere in the middle of the line, but as they rounded a corner, they heard a giant roar come from the front, followed by several screams.

"Go back! Go back!" Several prefects screamed as the troll rounded the corner.

Students began tripping all over each other in the attempt to get out of its path, and Salazar knew that there was only thing he could do amidst all the confusion.

_Hogwarts my dear, now would be a good time to activate Helga's security enchantments! _He thought wildly as the troll began to bear down on the children.

"By the blood of a founder, so shall it be." He whispered, as he cut his hand and smeared the blood on the wall.

Every stone in the entire castle turned black as coal and small yellow badgers formed on every wall. The badgers began snarling and moving in the direction of the troll. The troll gave a mighty roar and lifted its club to strike the students in front of it, but it suddenly found itself stuck to the wall as if it were a living decoration. Hundreds and hundreds of yellow badgers poured in from every direction, and the students stood rooted to their spots and stared in horrified awe as the badgers began attacking the troll.

"Go, go, go! Run back the other way! Get back to the great hall!" A few of the prefects screamed as blood from the troll started spattering the walls.

The entire house turned to run, and they made it back to the great hall in record time. Salazar noticed that Quirrell was gone, but that was the least of his worries at the moment. Several students were bleeding, and some had broken wrists and sprained ankles from falling on the ground and being trampled, so someone ran to get help.

A first year girl by the name of Daphne Greengrass had a broken nose, which Salazar quickly healed, followed by several others with small to medium sized cuts. One prefect realized what he was doing and began helping him, while another began leading the ones with broken bones to another table so they could be treated by Poppy when she arrived.

Nearly all the first years were huddled together because they were still shaking from the whole ordeal, but Salazar couldn't really blame them. He walked over to Blaise who was now sitting with Daphne and two other girls named Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode.

"Are you all alright?" Salazar asked, walking over to the little group. Draco and his lot glared at him, but they seemed fine so Salazar ignored them.

Blaise nodded. "Yeah, other than Daphne's nose I think so. I wonder what happened. Where did all those badgers come from?"

Salazar shrugged. "I don't know…"

"Don't lie Potter!" Nott cried loudly with a scowl on his face. "You do know! I know you did something. I saw you smear blood on the wall. You also said something just before that! I saw you! You made the badgers show up!"

"Theo, I have no idea what you are talking about." Salazar said calmly as he turned to face the boy. "Obviously Hufflepuff had something to do with the badgers. Maybe Professor Sprout did something, or it could have been the castle itself. It's very old. Who knows what kind of enchantments it has."

"It was you!" Nott cried, just as Severus, Poppy, Minerva, Albus, and Quirrell rushed in. "I know it was you Potter! I know you made the badgers appear. I saw you!"

"And I'm telling you it had something to do with Hufflepuff!" Salazar said, trying to ignore the pain from his scar.

"STOP LYING TO ME!" Nott screamed. "You whispered something, smeared the blood on the wall, the stones turned black, and the badgers came and killed the troll! I KNOW IT WAS YOU!" He cried, as he jumped up and pointed at him. "You preformed blood magic again!"

"And I'm telling you it had something to do with Hufflepuff!" Salazar repeated, which was mostly true. "Theo, look around you. How many people are bleeding from various cuts and wounds? I was pushed into the wall several times. Yes, my hand is cut and yes my blood ended up on the wall. Yes, I was whispering to myself, but how many of us weren't? There was a bloody troll trying to kill us! I'm sure nearly everyone was screaming and whispering to themselves. How many of us were saying 'I need to get out of here', 'Ouch, I'm hurt', and 'Merlin help us'? Are you sure you saw what you think you saw?"

Theo stared at him, swayed slightly on his feet, and opened and closed his mouth several times, but then he sat down heavily and buried his head in his hands.

"I don't know. I don't know." He mumbled.

"I think you're in shock and need to be looked over by Madam Pomfrey." Salazar said calmly.

"I don't need…"

Severus cleared his throat. "As much as it pains me to say this, I agree with Potter. Nott, you are in shock. Let Madam Pomfrey take a look at you."

Theo looked up at him and sighed. "Yes sir." He mumbled, as he stood up and walked over to where Poppy was healing those with more serious wounds and broken bones.

"Where _did _the badgers come from Headmaster?" One of the sixth year prefects asked, and everyone became quiet and looked at him.

"I do not know." Albus said gravely. "This has only happened three other times since the Founders passed away. No one knows where the badgers come from or how they appear. Perhaps it's something Helga Hufflepuff ensured would happen if the castle and those within it were in great danger, but I cannot say for sure."

Salazar stared at Dumbledore with a dumbfounded expression on his face. _This has happened before? When? Why? How?_

"W-W-well I for o-one didn't a-a-appreciate it." Quirrell stuttered as he looked at Albus with a scowl.

Severus rolled his eyes. "That's because we had to pry you off the wall because you were stuck to it." He said dryly.

The only reason Salazar didn't burst out laughing was because his scar exploded in pain, and he gasped and clutched at it, though no one noticed.

"Well, let it be said that Hogwarts protects her own from danger." Minerva said ominously.

"Indeed." Albus said with a wide smile.

"Well I-I think that s-s-sending Slytherin House to their common r-r-room was a bit s-stupid. No offense Headmaster." Quirrell spat.

"Yes, I agree. I didn't realize what I was doing at the time, and for that I apologize. Thankfully you all are all right." Dumbledore said as he looked around the room.

"What happened to the troll?" A fourth year asked.

"It seems that the badgers left bits and pieces of it laying all over the corridor, but it has since been cleaned up." Severus said. "I suggest that you all head back to the common room. The rest of the feast has been set up there if you are hungry. Those that need to be looked at by Madam Pomfrey stay here, and mind what she tells you to do."

Everyone nodded and began shuffling out of the great hall. When they reached the common room, Salazar paid no attention to the food and headed up to the dorm room to change into his night clothes. He had a lot on his mind, so he laid down on his back and stared up at the ceiling, as Nora coiled up on his chest.

_"Speaker, what do we know about the badgers?" _She asked.

Salazar sighed and shook his head. _"I'm not sure. We all have our different security enchantments, but only the blood of a Founder can activate them. It may be possible that over time descendants could activate them, since technically they carry a Founders blood, but I don't know for sure. I know Helga told her children about hers. Rowena didn't have any other children other than Helena, and she died childless. Godric had two sons who also would have known, and I told my own children as well."_

_"So you think a decendent of Helga's set the badgers loose those other times."_

_"It the only logical conclusion my dear. I'm the only Founder left, and I haven't been back here since Godric died, and he was the last to pass away. Helga died first, then Rowena, and lastly Godric. I was here for the other's funerals as well, but as I said, once Godric passed, I never came back."_

_"Until now." _Nora said.

_"Correct." _Salazar said as he patted her head.

_"How did Morty become stuck to the wall?"_ She asked suddenly.

Salazar chuckled. _"Well perhaps because he is dangerous. He didn't get killed by the badgers because he doesn't immediately pose a threat to the students, so that's the only reason he is still alive."_

_"I wonder where they found him."_

_"I'm sure Severus will fill us in as soon as he can."_ Salazar said, as he continued to pet her head.

_"I see. Very well then."_ She said, as she slithered off of him and settled down next to his pillow. _"I suppose we better get some sleep."_

_"I agree my dear. It's been a long two days."_

_"Yes it has Speaker, yes it has." _Nora mumbled, as she drifted off to sleep.

Salazar soon followed behind her.


	14. A Not So Good Morning

***A/N* I seemed to have lost a few people because of the last chapter. I guess the attacking badgers were too much for some. However, i do thank the ones who are still sticking with me, and i assure you that i dont write things just because they sound cool at the time. The attacking badgers will come into play along with similar things in sixth year. They were not just a drive by passing thing. They are there for a reason. Please remember that there is always a method to my madness. To those who have since F, F, & R'd, i thank you so very much! **

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**A Not So Good Morning**

The month of November and first part of December flew by for Salazar, and before he knew it, it was almost the Christmas Holidays. He was, of course, staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. Quirrell seemed to be getting more and more agitated, and Salazar's scar was hurting almost constantly now, so he decided to keep a closer eye on him. Severus had told Salazar that Quirrell had been found on the second floor, and in Severus's opinion, Quirrell had let the troll in as a diversion so he could attempt to get the stone.

During the Christmas Holidays though, Salazar was going to have the whole common room to himself, seeing as every other Slytherin was going home. Draco took this opportunity to make fun of the fact that he wasn't going home, and that he would be alone for Christmas. Salazar just laughed and ignored him.

Speaking of Draco, the letter Salazar had written to Lucius had been strongly worded and full of subtle hints about a certain Dark Lord. According to Severus, Lucius nearly flipped out and sent a very angry letter to Draco, and Draco had thrown a temper tantrum in the middle of Severus's office because of it. Draco had stopped bullying Salazar and the children for a while, but eventually he'd gone right back to his old ways.

The Quidditch season had started, so Fred and George weren't around as much anymore because of practice and other Quidditch related activities. Salazar liked Quidditch well enough, but he didn't like brooms. During the first years flying class at the beginning of the year, he had shown up, but did just enough flying to get by. He liked his feet planted firmly on the ground, but that was because of an accident in his youth. He had hit a tree on a crudely constructed broom, and nearly broken his neck. Brooms had only been around for about five years before he was born, and they weren't as good as the ones made now, but that didn't matter. Salazar still didn't like flying.

The one thing that the twins did make special time for was Parseltongue lessons, which Nora took very seriously and threatened to bite anyone who didn't show up. They met twice a week on Wednesday and Friday after dinner, and the kids were doing fairly well. They had learned their names in Parseltongue, both their real names and 'Nora's names'. Hermione had been slightly insulted to learn that Nora called her 'Bushy', but once she found out what Nora called everyone else, she laughed about it. The twins loved the fact that they were known as 'The Minions', (even if Nora was only talking about one of them) and decided that, that was what they were going to go by from now on. They especially thought it was funny that their Mum was named 'Banshee'.

Of course though, these lessons were not without their problems. At some point, Ron had written to Mrs. Weasley and told her about the lessons, and you can guess her reaction. Two howlers arrived on the same morning, and due to them going off at the same, no one understood half of what was said. Apparently she placed some other kinds of charms on them, so Salazar, Fred, and George spent the whole time trying to figure out how to destroy them with no success, but Salazar did answer in kind.

He sent a howler back to her that was recorded in nothing but Parseltongue. This sent Molly into a rage and she sent another one back, which Salazar also tried to figure out how to destroy. When he still couldn't figure it out, he sent Molly another one in Parseltongue, but this time with the twins attempting to translate what he was saying. Which, as you can imagine, was nowhere near anything that Salazar had said, so the English translation part ended up being a mishmash of nonsense words.

This still didn't set well with Molly Weasley though, so she sent _another_ one, which Salazar _finally _figured out how to destroy by using a slightly 'dark' spell that was over three hundred years old. It could be compared to Fiendfyer, but it wasn't nearly as dangerous as Fiendfyer. This of course, nearly gave Albus a nervous breakdown, and Salazar had to sit through another lecture about 'dark magic'.

However, good old Ron once again blabbed that they figured out how to destroy the howlers by 'using Fiendfyer' so Molly herself showed up one night at dinner, and began screaming at Salazar for teaching her sons 'dark magic'. In a stroke of genius, the twins cast a voice amplifying charm and stood on top of the Gryffindor table and began 'speaking' Parseltongue, which actually sounded like a slurred version of some unknown language. Hermione and Neville quickly followed, and Blaise added to the chaos as well. The look on Molly's face was priceless, and Salazar was laughing so hard that he nearly fell out of his seat. Albus thought it was funny too, because he started laughing and even Quirrell looked highly amused by it all. Though Snape took ten points from Gryffindor for standing on the table, and Minerva took ten from Slytherin for the same.

Molly actually fainted after that, and Arthur, who had just shaken his head the entire time, levitated her out of the great hall and took her home. The twins dubbed it the best prank they had ever played on their Mum, and Salazar vowed to send the memory of it to James so he could have a good laugh over it too.

Not everything had been all fun and games though. Nicholas had written to Salazar that he couldn't find _any_ trial information for Sirius Black, which led to the belief that an innocent man was sitting in the horrible prison. Salazar had written back asking if there was anything that Nicholas could do to get Sirius a trial. Nicholas said he would try, but that he'd have to be extreamly careful about doing it, so that they wouldn't tip off Dumbledore since he was head of the Wizengamot.

Nicholas had already called in a few favors to keep his name off anything pertaining to the non-existent trial transcripts, and didn't know if he had enough favors left to keep his name out of a bid for a trial. Salazar knew it would raise more than a few eyebrows if Nicholas's name got dragged into this, so he told Nicholas to hold off doing anything for now, and said he'd have to come up with some kind of a plan.

However, Nicholas and Perenelle were very happy to have the stone back in their possession. Especially once Salazar told them he had planted a fake one in its place. Nicholas was going to see how long it took Albus to realize that they had been switched, and even hinted at visiting the castle to demand an update on the status of his stone. Salazar couldn't help but grin at that.

* * *

It was a few days into the Christmas Holidays and Salazar had a plan. He wanted to see how Voldemort would react to a certain piece of information, and Salazar knew that his only chance to do this was in the great hall at breakfast. He knew what he was planning to do would cause a lot of questions, but he would pick and choose what to answer based upon his 'knowledge' of the situation. No one other than the Professors and the Weasleys were inside the castle, so there wasn't a chance of anyone else overhearing this information. The Weasleys were a 'light' family, and Salazar knew they would never dream of doing anything with it anyway. It was also a fun way to rattle Albus even more.

The Weasleys were staying over the Holidays because their parents had decided to go to Romania to visit their brother Charlie who worked with dragons. Ron had accused the twins of ruining Christmas and blamed the sudden change of plans on them. Thankfully Percy didn't see it that way, and disagreed with Ron, but that only made Ron even angrier and the red head had been in a bad mood ever since the holidays had started.

Salazar walked into the great hall carrying a very old, very large, very think leather bound book and began to read it. He waited for about twenty minutes then he put his plan into action.

"Well that is just about the dumbest thing anyone could ever do!" He cried loudly and in a somewhat shocked voice from the Slytherin table, hoping Severus would take the bait.

He did.

"What are you babbling about Potter!?" He snapped from the head table.

Salazar looked up at him innocently. "Horcruxes." He said simply, and the entire head table seemed to have turned to stone as everyone stopped what they were doing to look at him. "It says here that in order to make one you have to murder someone, but it comes at a terrible price. It's just…stupid."

"Harry, what are you reading?" Albus asked with alarm.

"Oh." He said nonchalantly "It's a journal that I found in the common room. I found it when I was rearranging the snake statues to say 'Happy Christmas'. The Bloody Baron taught me to conjure Christmas decorations and so I thought I'd decorate. I asked one of the statues to open its mouth so I could hang some holly leaves and berries and I found this book, and a few other things." He said, holding up the book. "It belonged to Salazar Slytherin. Apparently he was looking for a way to live forever, and briefly thought about using a horcrux, but he dismissed the idea because of what would happen to him if he made one."

"What would happen?" Minerva asked, before Albus could shut the conversation down.

"Oh, well according to what Slytherin wrote, the purpose of a horcrux is to seal a piece of one's soul inside a random object so you can live forever, but in order to do that you have to murder someone, like I mentioned before. Unfortunately, if you make a horcrux not only do you lose half your soul, but you also lose half your mind, and eventually your ability to use reason, logic, and to think rational thoughts. He dismissed the idea when he found the original inventor of the horcrux, Herpo the Foul. After talking to the ancient Greek wizard, who was still alive after nearly two thousand years, Salazar located Herpo's horcrux, destroyed it, and killed old Herpo to put the man out of his misery. Slytherin says," he continued, squinting at the book, "that the more horcruxes you make the more insane you become." He said looking at Minerva.

"Harry, you do realize you're reading about dark magic, don't you?" Albus asked gently.

"Yes sir, seeing as it involves a dark ritual that talks about killing people. It's not like _I'm _going to make a horcrux. I'm not an idiot, and I happen to like my rational thought process thank you very much." Salazar said firmly, taking a bite of his toast.

There was silence throughout the great hall as everyone stared at him. Quirrell looked really pale and somewhat disorientated. Severus and Minerva were trying not to laugh, and Albus just stared at him with alarm, but Salazar smirked internally when he saw Albus very briefly glance at Quirrell.

"Is that book full of dark magic though?" Professor Sprout asked, somewhat concerned after a few minutes had passed.

"Oh no ma'am." Salazar said with a chuckle. "Did you know that Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin were considered the very first pranksters of Hogwarts? That's what Rowena Ravenclaw called them."

"Really!?" The twins cried in unison from the Gryffindor table. Then they jumped up and ran over to the Slytherin table to sit with him.

Salazar nodded and laughed. "Yeah. It says here," he said, flipping to a page in the middle of the book, "that Salazar once asked all the snakes on the grounds to follow Godric around for an entire week. Godric could barely move without tripping over one. He couldn't sleep, eat, or teach because of the amount of snakes that were around him. Godric did get him back though."

"How?" they immediately asked.

"Well apparently Godric transfigured a rock into a lion, and it carried Salazar around in its mouth for three full days. Godric had charmed it so that no matter what Salazar did, he couldn't get rid of it. By the time Rowena figured it out, Salazar was covered head to toe in lion slobber."

Everyone burst out laughing at the mental image that produced, and snickers could still be heard after several minutes.

"But it sounded like they were friends." Percy said with confusion. "I thought they were bitter enemies."

"Not according to this journal." Salazar said with a shrug. "They were best friends, and fought in several battles together against the muggles that were trying to kill witches and wizards in those days. If a big battle broke out somewhere, Godric and Salazar were there to help defend those who were magical. There is a story in here somewhere about the time Godric beheaded a muggle for killing a half-blooded child. There is another story in here about the time Salazar killed the mother of a muggle born for trying to drown her son in a river for simply being a wizard. The child was three years old, and he brought the child to Hogwarts and took care of him."

"What?" Percy said somewhat shocked. "But Slytherin hated muggle borns."

"True, but once they came to the castle to begin their schooling, Slytherin knew he had to protect them from the outside world." Salazar said, motioning to the book. "He just hated the muggles more than muggle borns because they were trying to kill witches and wizards."

"Yes, it is true. He raised me like a son." The Baron said, appearing in the great hall. "I will forever be grateful. Salazar even advocated to have all the muggle borns remain at the castle during holidays and summers so that they could be protected from their muggle relatives. The others, of course, agreed with him. It was after my incident that Salazar realized that muggle borns needed to be protected just as much, if not more, than the half-bloods and pure-bloods. He learned that what Godric, Helga, and Rowena had been saying about muggle borns was true."

"You're a muggle born!?" Minerva blurted out in surprise.

"Yes, I am. I am the only muggle born that has ever been in Slytherin house. He killed my mother, and took me away. I was three years old, and had no idea what magic was, yet I was to die because of it. What would you have done? Let me die?"

"I would have spoken to your Mother." Albus self-righteously said.

"Then you would have also died." Baron said pointedly. "Muggles today are nothing to fear, but the muggles of my day would kill you quickly for being magical. You do not understand how it was back then Headmaster. The world was different a thousand years ago, and you cannot apply the logic and reasons of today, to yesterday nor can you apply the logic and reasons of yesterday, to today." Baron said, then he turned to Salazar and smiled. "I'm am glad you found that book Mr. Potter. Salazar may have left it for his descendants to find, but I think it will do better in your hands. Beware to those who would try to take it from you, for if they try, they will find themselves cursed. Share the stories you find in it. Let Salazar's true image be known because for far too long it has been tarnished. He was not the blood thirsty monster history makes him out to be."

"I will do what I can sir."

"See that you do." Baron answered with a wink. "Now, if you will excuse me, Peeves is on the fourth floor trying to topple a statue." He said, then he floated out of the great hall.

"What else is in that book Potter?" Severus asked in genuinely curious tone.

"Well, I have been reading through it for a few days now, and I skimmed through some of the sections. There are spells that he invented, some are nasty, but a lot are harmless and there is even a few pranking spells for, and I quote, 'to get back at that bloody Gryffindor'." He said, and the twins stared laughing. "There are potions that he invented, and then there is the journal part, which I just began reading last night, and I didn't sleep at all because of it." He chuckled. "There is also this potion here." He continued, holding up a green potion. "But I don't know what it is. Here sir, I think you should take it."

He walked up to the head table and placed the potion in front of Severus, who looked at him in shock.

"It's not labeled, but the muggles have a term called reverse engineering. It means to take something apart to figure out what it is and how it works. Is there a way to do that with potions?"

"There is." Severus answered simply.

"Well here you go, I guess." Salazar said motioning towards the potion.

"Severus, let me know what that is as soon as you find out." Albus said gravely. Then he turned to Salazar. "Thank you Harry for turning that potion over."

"Of course sir." Salazar said with a nod. "I'm not about to play with something that could possibly kill me."

"And it probably would too!" Ron shouted from the Gryffindor table, where he had been sulking since breakfast started. "Salazar was an evil slimy git, and a barmy old fool."

Salazar was walking back toward the Slytherin table, and he had to hold on to the Ravenclaw table because the pain in his scar flared up so suddenly that it made him swoon. He managed to stay upright though.

"I don't think he was anything like that." Percy scolded. "Maybe misguided about some things, but he did help found this school. You should have more respect for him Ron."

"Why!?" Ron shouted. "He was an evil git!"

"From what I have read so far, yes Salazar was a dark wizard, but not all dark wizards are created equal. By today's standards, Slytherin was a fluffy bunny rabbit compared to say…Voldemort. Salazar didn't run around killing off half the country, and exterminating pure-blood lines simply because they didn't believe what he believed. He only killed muggles when he had too. Does that make Godric Gryffindor a dark wizard? What about sweet little Helga Hufflepuff? She killed muggles too, as did Rowena Ravenclaw. From what I've been reading, back then it was kill, or be killed." Salazar said, looking at Ron, who had turned red in the face and was glaring at him.

"Did Salazar Slytherin kill any witches and wizards?" Percy asked.

"No, I don't think so." Salazar answered. "It says in that book that Slytherin valued _all _magical blood. He may have disagreed with half-bloods and some pure-bloods, and he may not have liked muggle borns, but after the incident with Baron, he learned that muggle borns were in the most danger, especially children. Slytherin himself would have died before he killed a magical child, regardless of blood status."

"What about muggle born adults?" Professor Sprout asked.

"I don't know ma'am. I either haven't read far enough yet, or it's not in there." Salazar admitted.

"I see." She replied. "But history says that he left the school because of the muggle borns."

"I don't think that was true, seeing how he ended up feeling about them, but I don't know why he left. Like I said before, it's either not in there, or I haven't read that far yet." He answered, knowing full well that information was in there, but he was not willing to divulge it just yet. His quest for immortality was also mentioned a few times, but how he achieved it was not.

Salazar glanced at the twins, who were leafing through the book and probably looking for the pranking spells. Nora was coiled up between them and appeared to be studying Percy, who was creeping closer and closer to the book and was trying to look over the twins' shoulders. Ron was still sitting at the Gryffindor table, looking upset and glaring at his brothers. As for the Professors, Minerva was talking quietly with Poppy and Professor Sprout, Severus was studying the potion, Albus was lost in thought, and Quirrell was staring at the book curiously.

Salazar knew that Voldemort wanted to get his hands on the book, and he was fine with it, except for the nasty spells that were in it. He knew Voldemort would likely use them against other people. He wasn't hoping for a miracle, but he did want to let his Heir know that what he had done with the horcruxes was completely foolish. Salazar also knew that Voldemort would never destroy his own horcruxes because in order for a person to reverse the effects of the horcrux, they would need to feel regret and remorse, and _that_ was not something Voldemort was going to do. Salazar regretted the fact that he would have to eventually kill off his own family line, but it was necessary. Voldemort was a madman, to put it nicely, and he wasn't going to change.

"Harry, may I borrow that book?" Albus asked suddenly, and in his best grandfather voice.

Salazar knew it was a ploy to get the book out of his hands, and judging by the look Quirrell was giving Albus, he knew Voldemort had come to the same conclusion.

Salazar scratched the back of his head. "I don't know sir. You heard what the Baron said, and I don't want you to be cursed." He answered truthfully. "I know in the muggle world they have ways of copying things, is there a spell for that? Maybe if you copy the book, you wouldn't get cursed."

Albus frowned at him, but quickly changed it into a smile. "Yes Harry, there is a spell that can copy books, but many books have a spell placed on them so that they can't be copied. Such as the ones in book shops and our own library here. Otherwise it would be considered stealing."

"I understand, but if this one doesn't have that special spell, can we also make one for Professor Snape?"

"Potter?" Severus asked in surprise.

"Well I figure you're the Head of Slytherin, and it just seems right to me." Salazar said with a shrug. "Besides there are potions in there that Slytherin invented, and seeing as you are the Potions Master as well, he probably wouldn't mind you having them."

"Perhaps you're not as much of a dunderhead as you seem Potter." Severus admitted begrudgingly, as he got up from the head table and made his way down to Salazar.

They all watched as Severus made two copies, and he handed one to Albus, and kept one for himself. The twins however, grinned at the cranky Potions Master as he sat back down at the head table.

"Professor Snape, will you make a copy of just the spell part for us? Please." Fred asked with a grin. "We don't really care about the dark spells…"

"…but the pranking spells would be…"

"No Weasley." Snape said sharply, cutting them off. "Not on your life."

_"Speaker, you will copy the spells for the Minions, won't you?"_ Nora asked.

"Oh! She said Minions!" George said, looking at Nora, then back to Salazar who nodded.

_"Yes Nora, I'll hand copy the spells for them. I don't see the hurt in it."_ Salazar answered with a chuckle.

"Hey Nora, what is a good name for Percy?" Fred asked.

_"I do not know Minion. I've been trying to figure it all morning."_

"She doesn't know." Salazar said offhandedly, as he began looking through the book again.

"A name?" Percy asked curiously.

George laughed. "Nora doesn't call people by their correct names. We are the Minions, Ron is Carrot, Mum is Banshee…"

"What?!" Ron shouted. "That stupid snake better call me and Mum by our proper names!"

"She is just a pet Ron." Percy said. "She doesn't…"

_"I'm not a pet!" _Nora hissed loudly.

"Don't call her a pet. She gets very offended if you do. I'm her pet."

"Oh, uh…I'm sorry Nora. I didn't know." Percy said uneasily.

_"But now you do, so see that it doesn't happen again."_ She said with a huff, and Salazar repeated what she said.

"How can you apologize to it!?" Ron shouted, as he stomped his way over to the Slytherin table. "She bloody bit me!"

"Only because you were being a prat." Fred pointed out.

"I was not, and you know what!? It's because of you two that Mum and Dad went off to Romania!" Ron shouted. "They left because you wanted to hang around a stupid Slytherin git and learn to speak to snakes! You're going to end up dark wizards just like him. YOU TWO RUINED CHRISTMAS!" Ron bellowed, drawing his wand and sending a hex towards one of the twins.

Salazar just shook his head and laughed at Ron, but it all turned into horror in a split second. Ron had cast the dancing feet hex at George, but he jumped out of the way. Unfortunately, Nora was right behind him and she took the curse. She hissed and writhed in pain, seeing as she didn't have any feet, and Salazar could only stare at her in horror.

Until he came to his senses.

"NORA!" He cried, just as Percy quickly canceled the charm on her.

Fred and George started yelling at Ron, but Salazar rushed to her side. She was laying on the table limp and barely breathing. Professor Grubbly-Plank, the Care of Magical Creatures Professor, was already making her way towards them, and she gently pushed Salazar aside to check on Nora. Poppy had also jumped up, along with Minerva and Albus and were also making their way over to them.

Salazar could only stare in horror. There was a hundred things he could do, but all of them would give him away. He was torn on what to do, but he didn't have to think about it long.

"She's fading." Grubbly-Plank said shaking her head. "Her spine was broken in several places. I healed it, but I-I don't know what more I can do for her Mr. Potter. I-I am so sorry."

This was not what Salazar wanted to hear.

"She not going to die! She can't!" He shouted, as he wandlessly and non-verbally summoned the Sorting Hat. _"Hang on Nora. Hold on. Please!"_ He cried, as tears ran down his cheeks.

He didn't even care that he was crying. Nora had been his one confidant that he told everything too. All his fears and worries, and all his plans. What would work, what wouldn't, and how he should go about doing things. It was her. Not Severus. Not Poppy. Not Minerva. Nora was the one that knew absolutely everything.

"Please don't leave me." He sobbed, as he cradled her head gently. He could already tell that she was fading fast, but suddenly the Sorting Hat was there, and fell onto his head.

_Help me Hat. Please! I need Godric's sword! Please hurry!_ He thought frantically.

The Sorting Hat leapt off his head, and Salazar heard the sword as it fell out of the hat's hole. He grabbed it out of mid-air, and glared at Ron as the hat settled back onto his head.

"Should I stab him with it?!" Salazar cried, but he turned and made his way to the front of the head table instead.

_Oh very clever._ Hat said with a half-hearted laugh. _But you better hurry, and don't kill the boy Salazar. It would do no one any good._

Salazar knew the hat was right, but he was feeling murderous at the moment. However, he ran over to the largest stone in the floor. It was the one stone that the stool sat on every year. For almost ten centuries the first years were sorted on this very stone as they sat upon the little four legged stool, and over time the four legged stool had rubbed four perfectly round circles into it.

Salazar however, knew this stone's real secret. He took Godric's sword and stabbed the middle of the stone, right between the four small circles, and twisted the sword clockwise so that it made a small 'H'. Everyone stared at him in shock as he jumped backwards to avoid falling off of it as the stone began to rise, with Godric's sword gleaming from the top.

"Hold on Nora! Please!" He cried again as he cast a glance over his shoulder. Poppy was waving her wand over Nora, but she had a worried look on her face.

"Whatever you are doing Mr. Potter, make it quick." She called back to him.

Salazar took a deep breath as he turned back to the stone, which was rising up out of the floor. Underneath it, a large golden pillar was quickly appearing as the stone rose up to it full height. Fresh tears rolled down Salazar's face as he felt the ancient magic of his friends roll off of the pillar in waves, but he quickly glanced over the pillar, and spotted his target.

Helga's cup.

He grabbed it, and cast an expert eye over the pillar as he plucked a potion from just underneath where Helga's cup had been sitting. He ignored everything else that the pillar held, and poured a small amount of the potion Helga had brewed so long ago into the cup, and rushed back to Nora.

"Nora, please. Please drink." He whispered, as he looked at her limp form. "Please, just stick out your tongue. Please, you must." He sobbed. "Please."

Nora managed to weakly stick the very end of her forked tongue out, and Salazar nearly placed her whole head in the cup so Nora could get a little bit of the potion on her tongue.

"Try and swallow it my dear, please try and swallow it." He pleaded.

She was able barely able to, but when Salazar saw her glow a soft blue, he knew she managed to swallow it. There was a few tense moments but then Salazar heard her hiss softly.

_"Speaker, what happened?"_

"Not now my dear." He answered, as he tried to catch his breath from holding it for so long. "Just rest."

"She's healing." Poppy said in disbelief. "What did you do?"

"He did exactly what I told him to do." Hat said from his place on Salazar's head, then he jumped off Salazar's head and landed on the table. "Your little friend will be all right now Mr. Potter. Helga Hufflepuff was an excellent healer, and her cup increases the potency of any healing potion placed in it by five times. She just needs rest now, and lots of care."

Salazar knew all this of course, but he was thankful that the hat had thought to make it his own idea so quickly.

"Thank you." He managed to croak out.

"You're welcome, but now you must place everything back inside the pillar."

Salazar nodded, and turned back to the pillar. He stared at it for a moment, and a small wistful smile flickered across his face as he took it all in.

Rowena's diadem was perched at the top, and was next to the empty hole where Helga's cup and been. Underneath that was Rowena's own sword. It was bronze with gleaming sapphires embedded on its handle, and her name was delicately engraved on the blade. Just underneath her sword were books that were written in her hand and filled with her knowledge.

Sitting beside Rowena's things was Salazar's own things he had left behind. His locket was sitting beside Rowena's diadem, and underneath was his own sword with its silver blade and emeralds, along with his own name engraved in it. Just underneath his sword lay a textbook he had written for Defense against the Dark Arts.

Then there were Helga's things. The empty hole where her cup had been, and then her sword perched underneath, with its gold blade and onyx gemstones, and her name engraved on its blade. Under that lay several healing potions she had brewed, as well as books on healing and cookbooks filled with her recipes.

At the top, and still stuck inside the stone, was the key to unlocking the pillar. Godric's sword. Sitting in front of the sword were journals filled with his thoughts, ideas, and general ramblings.

Salazar closed his eyes for a moment and pictured the day they all stood in that very spot and placed their items inside the pillar, then they poured their magic into it, and thereby giving Hogwarts its partial sentience. That had been a monumental day.

"Mr. Potter?" Minerva asked, gently placing her hand on his shoulder.

Salazar shook himself out of his thoughts and looked at her with a smile. "I'm sorry ma'am. I'm just…in awe."

"I understand." She said softly. "I had no idea this was even here. Albus, did you know?"

"No Minerva, I cannot say that I did. Hat, why did you never tell me?" He asked.

"Because you didn't need to know. Very few Headmasters have ever known. That pillar is the heart of Hogwarts. I keep its key, and I'm the judge of whether someone is worthy enough to open it."

"And how was Mr. Potter worthy?" Albus asked in a slightly biting tone.

Salazar glared at him. "Apparently because my friend was dying." He answered.

"In a nut shell." The hat answered. "I knew he needed help, so I came."

"I see." Albus said with a scowl, as Salazar replaced Helga's cup and the rest of the potion back into its rightful place.

The hat leapt off the Slytherin table, and everyone watched as it sailed towards Godric's sword and fell upon it. The sword disappeared back into the hat, and the pillar descended back into its resting place. Minerva gently picked it up, and placed it on the head table.

"Thank you for your assistance Hat." She said, and the hat nodded, jumped off the table, and flew out of the room.

Salazar took a deep breath, rubbed his eyes, and then glanced around the room. Fred was laying on top of the Slytherin table next to Nora, as Poppy waved her wand over her again. Minerva was looking at Salazar with concern, Albus was staring off into space, Severus and Percy were staring at the stone where the pillar was in total shock, and Quirrell looked downright pissed off, though Salazar didn't know why. George however, was glaring at Ron, who was looking at Salazar and the red head looked very scared at the moment.

With good reason.

Salazar was now glaring at Ron so fiercely that it's a wonder that the Weasley hadn't exploded into flames yet, but Salazar glanced at Nora, then back at Ron.

And then Salazar exploded in anger.

* * *

**Please don't hate me! LOL! Another cliffhanger! Im so sorry, but i figured that i should stop it here, otherwise this would have been a very long chapter, and i was afraid some key details would get lost because of it. However, this will be the first time we see Salazar get _really_ angry, so i hope it is worth the wait for you guys. Also, please remember what i said at the beginning of the chapter. I know the pillar thing is kinda weird, but there is a method to the madness, and considering what lies within the pillar, you should know something is very fishy here! **grins evilly** See you guys in the next chapter, which is already in the works!**


	15. A Happy Christmas

***A/N* One of my guest reviewers pointed out to me that Professor Grubbly-Plank was not the COMC Professor at the time. It was in fact Professor Kettleburn. I had completely forgotten about him! Grubbly-Plank was the substitute Professor for Hagrid in book 5 and i think that where my confusion came from because i remember her taking care of Hedwig when she was hurt. Anyway, Im so sorry for the mix up, but i think i'll leave it as is. Kettleburn was known for getting seriously hurt while teaching, so lets just assume that he was hurt and Grubbly-Plank was subbing for him! Thank for pointing that out Moi!**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**A Happy Christmas**

In the back of his mind, Salazar knew that Ron was only a child. In the back of his mind, he knew Ron hadn't meant to do it. In the back of his mind, he knew that Ron had not been aiming for Nora, but was aiming for George instead. However, in the back of his mind is where all that knowledge stayed, and Salazar only saw what was right in front of him.

Which was…that Ron had nearly killed Nora because of his hot-headedness.

The air in the great hall became cold and still as death, as if dementors had entered the room. The clear blue sky of the enchanted ceiling suddenly formed angry dark clouds that began roiling and churning. The Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw tables began vibrating dangerously, then they exploded violently into nothing but fine saw dust.

'Harry Potter' stood there glaring at Ron as a fierce wind sprang up around him. He had his wand in is hand, and for the moment it was pointed at the ground, but everyone wondered how long that would last.

Minerva took a few steps back and looked extreamly concerned. Severus had gotten up from his seat and was inching towards Percy, Fred, George, Poppy, and Nora, as if to protect them somehow. Albus had a look on his face that was a mixture of awe and fear. All the other Professors had flattened themselves against the wall, but Quirrell looked absolutely gleeful, and he wasn't even trying to hide it.

Ron, for his part, looked completely terrified.

"For months I have put up with your pettiness! For months I have put up with your false accusations! For months I have put up with your scathing comments and the rumors that you have spread about me! For months you have been saying that I'm evil! For months you have said that I'm dark! Is that what you what?! Is darkness what you want to see!? ANSWER ME YOU PATHETIC IDIOT!" Salazar roared, as every window in the great hall shattered, sending the glass into the snow covered ground below. "I am NOT a dark wizard Ronald Weasley, but if that is what you want to see me as, then by Merlin you're going to see it!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Ron screamed as he stumbled backwards and fell down on his bottom. "Please don't hurt me! I didn't mean to hurt her!"

"YOU ALMOST KILLED HER BECAUSE OF YOUR STUPIDITY!" Salazar roared. "Do you think just because you now have a wand that you can just whip it out anytime you want and start hexing people?! I don't think you are even mature enough to have a wand! Shall I take it from you and snap it in half?"

"No! No don't! Please…" Ron babbled.

"SHUT UP!" Salazar bellowed, as he stood there glaring daggers at Ron. "Do you want to see some dark magic Ronald Weasley? Do you? You are so focused on people going dark, so I think you should see what dark magic is really all about! Do you want to see some!?"

"No! No! I'm sorry! Please don't, please!" Ron begged, as he shuffled backwards on his bottom in an attempt to get away from Salazar's wrath.

Out of the corner of his eye, Salazar saw Albus raise his wand at him, but with a flick of his wandless hand he sent the Headmaster's wand sailing out of his hand and everyone watched as it skittered across the floor. The old man's eyes widened in shock as he stared at his hand where his wand used to be, then his gaze turned to 'Harry', who had yet to take his eyes off a blubbering and babbling Ron Weasley.

With a complicated wave of Salazar's wand, the long mounds of sawdust that used to be the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables began to solidify into very large snakes, one turned into fire and the other into water. Everyone's eyes widened at the display, but Ron screamed and pointed a very shaky wand at the two giant snakes as they reared up to their full height and towered over the terrified red-head. Then the idiot boy did the stupidest thing he could have done.

Ron pointed that very shaky wand right at Salazar.

Salazar narrowed his eyes and sent both snakes crashing down on top of the boy, and Ron screamed when they collided right above him. The giant water snake came first and the fire snake followed almost simultaneously, and the steam that resulted from the collision engulfed the entire great hall.

A few people screamed, but most coughed and sputtered as the steam dissipated. When it had all cleared, 'Harry Potter' was still standing in the exact same spot, and the great hall was back to normal with all the windows and all four house tables intact and back in their rightful places.

Ron Weasley slowly got to his feet, looking very rumpled and slightly damp from the steam bath he had just received, and stared at 'Harry Potter'.

"You used dark magic." He accused, in a raspy voice.

"No I didn't. That was what a few charms and a bit of transfiguration can do. Not a single thing I did was dark, but you obviously didn't know that." Salazar replied, as he began to calm down. "Perhaps you should study and read more."

"You could have killed me!"

"I could have," he admitted, "but do you know why I didn't? It's because you are just a child to me, despite us being the same age. If I was a dark wizard, I would have maimed, killed, and/or tortured you."

"Not in front of them!" Ron shouted, pointing to the Professors.

"That's not true, because a dark wizard wouldn't care who was around. They would take pleasure in watching the horrified faces of those watching. From all the reading I've been doing, I have come to the conclusion that dark wizards are no different than muggle serial killers." Salazar said, and nearly laughed when the pain in his scar flared.

Albus quickly scurried across the room to grab his wand, and he let out a breath of relief when he touched it. Then he stared at 'Harry' with a new mixture of awe, pride, and…happiness?

"Ron, do you know the difference between a dark wizard and dark intentions?" Salazar continued, and judging by the blank look on the boy's face he didn't. "I will explain. You see, a dark wizard is someone like Voldemort who uses nothing but dark magic, and uses it to maim, torture, and kill his victims. Dark intentions are when someone casts a dancing feet spell at his brother in order to embarrass him, or to 'get revenge' on him. Dark intentions are when someone uses giant snakes to scare the mess out of someone. Dark intentions are when someone is manipulating someone else into doing something they might not necessarily want to do. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

"I'm not dark!" Ron shouted defensively.

"No you're not." Salazar agreed with a nod. "_Everyone_ has dark intentions every now and then. Having them doesn't make you a dark wizard. I am not a dark wizard, but I do have dark intentions. Just like you, just like Percy, just like Fred and George, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and even Professor Dumbledore. Just to name a few. I bet even Madam Pomfrey has dark intentions every once in a while." He said, then he grinned at the Medi-witch. "She keeps people trapped in beds."

The tension in the room seemed to dissipate as everyone smiled and chuckled at that statement.

"He's right Mr. Weasley." Minerva said, nodding her head. "Not everyone has to be a dark wizard in order to have dark intentions, and I think that is where you get confused."

"But he is evil! Look at what he did just a minute ago! He used snakes and stuff!" Ron shouted, and Salazar sighed and shook his head.

The whole room seemed to deflate as everyone looked at Ron and also shook their heads. However, Dumbledore was staring at Salazar rather oddly now, and quite frankly, it was beginning to unnerve him.

"Well, I'm done trying to teach Ron anything. If you all will excuse me, I need to tend to Nora's needs and well-being." He said.

He walked over to where Fred was still sitting with her, and gently scooped her up. Then he made his way into the dungeons, and headed for the common room.

* * *

"The boy is powerful, and he is smart. However, I wish he would have displayed some uses of dark magic, but I suppose with Dumbledore standing there, it wouldn't have been wise." Said a cold raspy voice that rang out inside the Defense classroom. "I'm also beginning to think he really doesn't care for Dumbledore all that much. This could work in my favor."

"He could be a threat to you Master. He disarmed Dumbledore without so much as a glance in the old man's direction."

"Yes, he did." The voice agreed. "However, I think it had more to do with Dumbledore being off his guard and not expecting it."

"Of course, you are right Master."

"We need to get the stone Quirrell. You're methods thus far have been…disappointing. I also need to check on some of my…possessions. I feel they may be in danger. I also need to look into a few things. Get that stone soon, or I will be displeased with you."

"I will get it Master." Quirrell replied as he winced slightly.

"See that you do, and when I have it, I will see if the boy wants to join me."

"Yes Master."

* * *

In the Slytherin common room, Salazar was idly stirring the contents of a small cauldron. There were several other small cauldrons spread out over a large study table, and each was in various stages of completion. The room was decorated for Christmas now, and he had also placed a small Christmas tree right beside the fireplace. It was also silent in the large room, with the exception of Salazar shuffling around and the softly bubbling potions.

Nora was stretched out on a blanket that was laying on one of the couches, and she was fast asleep. Salazar smiled as he watched over her. She had grown quite a bit since he had summoned her that day on the train. Back then, she had just been a mere six inches and skinny. Now she had grown to about ten inches and she had fleshed out and put on some weight. Before she fell asleep though, Salazar had done his own examinations of her, and found that Poppy and Professor Grubbly-Plank had done an excellent job of healing her. He was satisfied that her injuries were gone, and now she was well on her way to recovery. Granted, Helga's potion and cup had a lot to do with it too, but if the two witches hadn't thought so quickly, things wouldn't have turned out so good.

Salazar was also thankful for Percy's quick action in canceling the spell. If it had gone on any longer, Nora would have been beyond saving. He made a mental note to personally thank Percy the next time he saw him.

He was still shuffling around and attending to the potions when he heard the familiar soft rumble of the entrance to the common room open, and Severus appeared a moment later with his robes billowing around him in their normal fashion.

Severus stopped and raised an eyebrow at him, but then he caught sight of Nora asleep on the couch, and looked at Salazar with worry.

"Sir, is she alright?" He asked with concern.

"Yes, she is just sleeping. These are just to help me relax. I decided to brew a few healing potions for Poppy for when the students come back. I'm sure that with everyone returning it will cause all their germs to mix, and the 'back to school bug' as Petunia called it, to surface again. Dudley and I always got sick because of it."

"That does seem to happen." Severus agreed with a small chuckle. "It happens at the beginning of the year, and after every winter break."

"Indeed." Salazar said with a smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company? Does Albus want my head on a platter?"

"Actually that _is_ why I'm here, and surprisingly, the answer is no."

"Really?" Salazar asked, as he looked up from the simmering Pepper-Up potion in shock.

Severus nodded, as he took a seat in one of the chairs that was situated around the table. "Yes sir. I just came from a mandatory staff meeting because he wanted our opinions about your little display. Needless to say, Flitwick liked the excellent charm work. I, of course, spoke up with my usual prattle, but Minerva and Poppy came to your defense and pointed out that you could have actually hurt the dunderhead, but didn't."

"What about Quirrell?" Salazar asked curiously.

"From what we could gather through all the stuttering, he was quite impressed. Albus didn't like that too much, considering the source, but he hid it well enough to fool the others. Albus himself admired your self-control. Minerva admitted that for a moment she thought you were going to hurt the idiot boy, but quickly caught on to what you were doing when you transfigured the tables. The other Professors also admitted that they were afraid at first, thinking you really were going to use dark magic, but once they realized what you were doing, they relaxed and didn't want to interfere. Albus himself agreed with them, though he is slightly upset that you managed to disarm him. They all admitted that that came as a shock."

Salazar laughed. "I guess I can say I'm not surprised after your explanation. Albus is probably happy that I'm powerful, and will no doubt try to use that for the 'Greater Good'. I knew he might try to stop me at first because of what I was saying about using dark magic, but I didn't see the point of actually taking his wand. I was more focused on Ron. I do admit that I wanted to hurt him badly at first, but I had to keep in mind that he is a child. An idiot child, but a child none the less. I did try to turn it into a lesson when I began to calm down though."

"Speaking of your logic on the issue, Albus was very impressed with that as well, and agreed with your points of reason and is amazed that you think like that, given that you are so young." Severus said with a chuckle. "He asked Minerva to sit down with Weasley and try to explain it all again. Time will tell if it sinks in though."

"Well, I'm not all that surprised about that either really. Despite Dumbledore's feelings on dark magic vs. light magic, even he knows the difference between dark magic and dark intentions. He's not _completely _blind to the issue. Is Ron going to receive any punishment for his actions though?" Salazar asked.

"No." Severus said with a scowl. "They said he didn't do anything wrong."

"Good. I agree with that decision. Especially considering that what I did should have warranted punishment as well."

"Sir?!" Severus asked, in a completely shocked tone.

Salazar sighed as he looked up from the cauldron. "The whole thing was an unfortunate accident Severus, and I lost my temper because of it. It started with a harmless spell, one that normally wouldn't warrant detention or loss of points, just a stern warning. He was aiming for his own brother who jumped out the way. If Nora hadn't been right behind George, nothing would have happened. However, if Ron had blatantly attacked her, that would have been a different matter altogether."

"I suppose if you put it that way I see your reasoning, but that doesn't mean I agree with it."

Salazar nodded in acknowledgement in the difference of opinion, but then he continued. "However, I fear that if the boy doesn't straighten up that he will be a lost cause. His mother has done a number on him. Thankfully Fred and George aren't like that, and from what I have observed of Percy Weasley, he seems rational. I don't know much about the boy, but he seems stern and tries to keep his younger brothers in line."

"To his credit, he does." Severus admitted, as he began helping Salazar with the potions.

"Ron Weasley is the Gryffindor equal of Draco Malfoy I'm afraid. Both boys are extreamly prejudiced, hot-headed, and reckless. Also, they are both whiny, petulant, and petty, but at least that makes them predictable. That may change as they grow up though. However, I fear that Draco will follow in his father's footsteps, and that is not the life I'd want to see any child fall into. I may have work with him on changing that, but seeing as I am 'Harry Potter', that may not be received well. Not to mention, my 'lesson in manners' may have humiliated him a bit too much. I now regret doing that, and I'm afraid that did irreparable damage to the whole situation."

"I'm afraid you might be right. I'll do what I can to help steer him away from his father's path, but I don't know how to accomplish that without blowing my cover completely."

"A lot of it is up to Draco. If he will stop listening to his father's prattle and stop throwing around his father's name, he might see reason one day." Salazar said.

Severus nodded, and they spent the rest of the afternoon brewing potions and chatting. Severus did ask about the potion that Salazar had given him, but Salazar just smiled and said that he would have to take it apart to figure it out, but he did say the answer lay within the book he had 'found' in the common room.

* * *

Dinner that night was a quiet affair. Nora was still asleep in the common room, but Salazar decided that he would take her some small pieces of cut up chicken in case she wanted to eat later.

He had brought the book again, but this time he sat at the Gryffindor table with the Weasleys. He let Fred and George look through it, knowing that they were after the pranking spells and nothing else, but Percy did ask Salazar questions about what he had read about The Founder of Slytherin. Salazar answered most of his questions, but not the rest simply because 'he didn't know'.

Ron sat several seats away from his brothers and Salazar, but didn't partake in any conversations. He was subdued and didn't cast any glares. In fact, he didn't even look their way, and when he was finished eating, he immediately left the great hall. Salazar didn't blame him though, and he hoped that whatever Minerva had said to boy actually got through.

* * *

A few days later, Christmas morning dawned and Salazar woke up with a start as a loud banging sound echoed throughout the dorm room. After sitting up and rubbing his eyes, he realized that Nora had woken up and was pilfering through the presents that were stacked up at the end of his bed. The banging sound was all of them falling onto the floor.

_"I'm sorry Speaker, I didn't mean to wake you."_ She said, as Salazar looked at her with bleary eyes. She didn't look sorry though, she looked like she had done it on purpose. _"It's time to get up. You have to help me open my presents. I think Pigeon left me something. I can smell it."_

He chuckled softly and since it was a bit chilly in the room, he stayed half covered and '_accioed'_ all the presents onto the bed.

Hedwig had returned from delivering presents to Brazil the day after Nora had been hurt, and when she learned what happened, she had decided to spend the next few days in the common room. When Salazar had asked if she was watching over Nora, the owl ruffled her feathers and hooted angrily at him, but she still kept watch over Nora. Salazar just laughed at her, much to Hedwig's displeasure.

_"Open mine from Pigeon first." _Nora requested, and Salazar did.

The Hogwarts house elves had apparently placed it in a box, but it was a dead mouse and had one of Hedwig's feathers placed in it as if to signify that it was from her.

_"Pigeon has done well. I will enjoy eating that for breakfast. She can have one of my mice from my bowl as a present from me."_

_"I'm sure she will like that." _Salazar said with a chuckle, as he began opening the other gifts.

From Nicholas, Perenelle, and Blaise he had received books, but books were always a favorite of his. Neville had sent him some chocolate frogs, and he laughed when he opened one because the card turned out to be his own. Hermione had sent him a book on advanced charms, but she also sent something else. It turned out to be a muggle hat with reindeer antlers, a small Father Christmas hat, and a piece of red fleece fabric that looked like a long skinny sock with a bit of white fur at the opening and a white puff ball at the end. He was confused at first, until he read her accompanying letter.

_Harry,_

_I racked my brain to try and find a gift for Nora. At first I couldn't, until I saw the reindeer antler hat. (That's for you by the way.) When I saw that, I got an idea. I think you can shrink the small Father Christmas hat down to Nora's size and use a sticking charm to make it stay on her head. The red fleece 'sock' is the rest of the Father Christmas 'costume' for Nora. I thought it would be funny for you to be the reindeer and for her to be Father Christmas, seeing as you are her pet. I hope you and Nora like it and don't think it's too weird! _

_Your Friend,_

_Hermione (Bushy)_

Salazar burst out laughing, and once again wondered how Hermione hadn't ended up in Ravenclaw. Her creativity was simply brilliant. He reread the letter out loud to Nora, who was so excited that she immediately demanded that he do what the letter said. He shrank the hat, and put a sticking charm on it, but they had to make some adjustments to the red fleece sock, because it wanted slide off of her as she slithered around. A sticking charm around the opening did the trick though, and Nora now looked like a snake version of Father Christmas. Salazar didn't stop laughing at her for nearly ten minutes.

_"If you don't stop laughing at my costume, I will bite you!" _She huffed. _"Now, you have to do what Bushy said and put on the hat. We still have more presents to open." _

_"Alright."_ Salazar said, as he stuck the hat on his head and laughed again.

Severus had given him a potions kit full of rare ingredients, which Salazar was excited over, and Minerva and Poppy had banded together and got him a nice pair of dragon hide boots.

The box of presents from Lily, James, and Harry contained gifts for everyone 'in the know'. There was one from Lily to Severus, two more from James and Lily to Minerva and Poppy, and one from James to the Weasley twins. Salazar could only guess what that was. James had sent Salazar a two way mirror with instructions on how it worked. He explained that this was a faster way to communicate, instead of sending Hedwig back and forth across the open ocean. Salazar was so happy that there was a better way, and vowed to contact James later on that day.

As a gift, Harry had sent Salazar a short hand written, hand drawn book that made him laugh loudly. The title was How to Act Like an Eleven Year Old Boy (Just in Case You Forgot) by Harry Potter. The inside consisted of things like…

When in trouble, deny everything and blame the closest person near you. (Even if they are an adult.)

Make sure to stomp around and throw temper tantrums at least once a week.

Forget to brush your teeth every other day, and NEVER brush your hair.

Take baths and showers only when told.

Make sure you get all muddy right before you have to go somewhere important.

Make sure you know your Quidditch teams.

And last but not least, eat a bunch of sweets so that you are always HYPER!

Salazar thought that was the best gift he had ever received and decided to show it to Poppy, Severus, and Minerva. The charmed drawings that accompanied the 'rules' were simply hysterical. Not to mention, Salazar had a sneaky suspicion that he had just been pranked.

The last gift however, made him mad. When Salazar first opened it, he was amazed that someone would give him such a fine looking cloak, but then a part of it fell over Nora it made her completely invisible. A note fell out of the cloak as he unfolded it, and he picked it up and began to read.

_Harry,_

_Your father left this with me before he died, and I thought you should have it. Use it well, but please remember to not go near the third floor corridor._

_Albus Dumbledore_

He sat back against his pillows and frowned. If this cloak belonged to James, then the first thing he was going to do was get it back to its rightful owner. Secondly, Dumbledore was becoming bolder with his not so subtle manipulations.

Salazar just sighed and shook his head. He was going to have to deal with the whole third floor nonsense sooner or later. He was surprised that his wards were still in place on the door, but he had a feeling that would soon change.

* * *

Breakfast was relaxed, yet lively. Since it was Christmas day, the other tables had vanished and there was just one long table for everyone to sit at. Salazar was the last to make it to breakfast that morning, but as soon as he entered the great hall, Fred and George burst out laughing because of his new hat.

He explained what it was and all about and who gave it to him. The twins laughed even harder after that, and of course, Nora threatened to bite them. However, she enjoyed the 'ohhs and ahhs' she received because of her little costume, and happily slithered around the table with her head held high because of them.

Hedwig came for a visit, and Nora happily gave her a mouse for her Christmas present, and Hedwig hooted her thanks. Salazar told Hedwig that her gift was a new perch that she could use in the common room, until the other students got back, but then she could have it during the summer as well. He left out the part that it wasn't going to be at the Dursleys though.

After the feast later that afternoon, Salazar ended up in a snowball fight against the twins, which he lost miserably. Fred and George took great delight in pelting him with the charmed snowballs, but seeing as it was two against one, Salazar really had no chance. However, the three of them did see Quirrell walking along the side of the castle, so Salazar waved them over and motioned for them to be quiet. He sent a mild blasting curse at the show covered roof, and managed to bury Quirrell and Voldemort under a large pile of show. All three of them hid behind a tree and laughed as the possessed man blasted the snow away from himself, and stomped off soaking wet and muttering angrily.

* * *

Later that night, Salazar met up with Severus, Poppy, Minerva, and the twins on the seventh floor. Throughout the day he had told each one of them to meet him there at 8pm because he had something for them.

After entering the Room of Requirement, he asked the room for some comfortable chairs and an art easel. After setting that up, Salazar enlarged the mirror James had given him, and called out his name.

"James Potter!" He said loudly, and they waited a few moments.

When James answered, he smiled brightly at everyone, and immediately called for Lily and Harry. James must have enlarged his mirror too, because they had no problem seeing the three of them.

"I was wondering if you were going to call today." James said with a grin. "Minnie, Poppy it is so good to see you after all these years. Severus, now that I can say this to you directly, I'm so sorry."

"I have moved on Potter, and I humbly accept your apology." Severus said.

Lily smiled brightly at him. "It's so good to see you Sev, and I'm so glad Salazar brought you in."

Salazar glanced at Severus as he gazed at Lily, and saw the emotions in the young man's eyes.

"I'm so glad that _all_ of you are alright." Severus said, as his voice cracked slightly.

"As am I." Minerva said, as she dabbed her eyes, and Poppy could only nod as she blew her nose.

"Lily, James, and Harry, I would like to introduce you to some troublemakers, who managed to find out about me due to a certain map of yours. This is Fred and George Weasley." Salazar said with a grin, as the twins laughed. "Boys this is Lily, the real Harry Potter, and Prongs."

The twins grinned at them and bowed low. "It is an honor to be in your presence oh Great Ones!" They said together, and the Potters laughed loudly.

"I like you guys. You're funny." Harry said with a grin. "Salazar said in a letter that you do a lot of pranks. What all have you done?"

The next five minutes consisted of the twins, James and Harry discussing pranks, while Minerva Poppy, and Severus gave them all exasperated looks, but by the time Lily called a halt to the joke talk, everyone was laughing.

"Well I have yet to give you all the presents they sent to me to hand out." Salazar said with a smile, and began passing out the gifts.

"Mum, it's like he's Father Christmas." Harry said with a laugh.

Salazar grinned at him. "Well, I'm certainly old enough to be." He said, which caused everyone to laugh again.

Severus received a very old potions book that had been written in a different language, but Lily explained that she had placed a translation charm on it. She found it in a very old book shop, and mentioned that she had never seen one like in England, and thought he might like it. Salazar knew Severus would treasure that book always.

Poppy received a healer's potion belt so that she could carry potions around, instead of running back and forth to her cabinet all the time. However, when Minerva opened her gift she half glared at James and half smiled.

"James Potter, I'm going to throttle you!" She exclaimed as she held up a bag of cat nip and a cat toy.

James and Harry started laughing loudly, but Lily shook her head. "I tried to talk him out of it Minnie, but I couldn't. I hope you like the winter cloak though."

"I do Lily, it's beautiful. Thank you so much." She said with a smile.

Last came the twins, who were shocked that they had received something, but when they opened their gift from James, they grinned wickedly.

"The Complete Compendium of Marauder Pranks by Padfoot and Prongs." The boys read together as their eyes shone brightly.

"Just remember to not target individual people." James said, as he looked at Severus and smiled sadly.

"We won't." The twins said sincerely.

"Also, I understand Peter is living in Gryffindor Tower and at your house, so remember to hide it well. If he sees it, he will know what it is."

They nodded at the warning. "Yes, sir."

After Minerva scolded a grinning James for placing that book in the hands of the two greatest mischief makers since the Marauders, they all talked with the Potters for at least another hour. Today had been time for catching up with old friends, and making new ones. Needless to say, it had been a wonderful and lighthearted Christmas Day.

* * *

***A/N* I know it's a bit fluffy at the end, but i hope no one minds. I figured that would be a nice thing to do, seeing as everyone had previously thought the Potters were dead, and being able to see and talk to them seemed like a good gift. **

**Anyway, we are soon coming to the end of year one. I think there will be 2 maybe 3 more chapters before it is over. However, i really really need you guy's opinions on something. Do you all want me to continue with C&C as one long story spanning all the years or do you prefer a new story for each year? Im unsure if you guys would want to Fav or Follow six other stories which could get annoying. Or would you guys like me to break it in half after 4th year so that it isnt toooooo long? I have set up a poll on my profile so please head there to vote, or let me know what you prefer in a review! Thank you so much! You guys are awesome and i truly love you all! **


	16. Detention

**Chapter 16**

**Detention**

Salazar had been right in assuming that the wards around the door to the third floor would come down soon because they had come down the day after Christmas. He had warned Fred and George not to go near there, and told them why. He knew Percy wouldn't go near it, and Ron had been so quiet lately that Salazar was beginning to wonder if he had traumatized the boy so badly that he was now unable to speak.

He had also contacted James and mentioned the cloak to him. James confirmed that he had indeed given it to Dumbledore shortly before they had left the country. Salazar told him that he would return the cloak to him as soon as he could, which James was thankful for. He told Salazar it was a family heirloom, and had been passed down from father to son for many years.

Nicholas sent him a letter saying that he was planning a little trip to Hogwarts in a month or so to 'demand answers'. When Salazar learned this, he immediately began to think up a plan. He was going to enjoy giving Albus a massive headache between now and then.

* * *

Salazar put his plan into action just before sunrise on the day the students were to return from the Christmas Holidays. He chose that day simply because it would be the most inconvenient time for Albus. He had warned Minerva, Poppy, Severus, and the twins not to be alarmed, but he wouldn't tell them anything beyond that.

He woke up early that morning and told Nora it was best if she waited for him in the dorm, just in case something went wrong. She protested, but in the end she agreed to stay put. He left the dorm and made his way through several shortcuts until he was standing in front of the door to the third floor, and he shook his head and sighed when he unlocked it with a simple unlocking charm.

Even though he was disillusioned, the griffin, who by now was starting to look ragged and sickly from being indoors, lifted its head and sniffed the air. It got up and looked around, but then laid back down in what appeared to be a depressed heap. Realizing that the poor creature wasn't going to make it much longer, Salazar was sure what he was about to do was for the best.

"Bombarda Maxima!" He cried.

The startled griffin jumped up just as the spell connected with the back wall of the corridor. The blast blew a giant hole in the castle's walls, which made the entire castle shudder violently. The freezing cold outside air came rushing into the corridor, and the griffin just stood there for a few moments breathing in all the fresh air.

"Go." Salazar said gently to the weakened creature. "Go. You are free now."

The griffin looked towards the sound of Salazar's disembodied voice, then looked back down the corridor and took off running towards his unexpected freedom. It stopped at the opening and flapped its wings as if to test their strength, and took off out of the hole and headed for the rising sun.

Salazar stood in the opening and watched it fly away, then he quickly stuck a piece of parchment to the trapdoor, cast a quick spell, and headed back to the common room.

* * *

Albus and company arrived about ten minutes later and everyone stared at the scene with dumbfounded expressions. Hagrid came huffing and puffing into the corridor shortly after and said he had heard the explosion, and watched the griffin fly off into the sunrise.

Albus could only stare at the destruction, but then quickly shook himself out of it.

"Filius, will you kindly head to Gryffindor Tower and assure the Weasleys that everything is alright, and Pomona, will you do the same in the dungeons for Harry?"

They both nodded and headed out the door, but not before looking back and casting one more glance over the scene. Meanwhile, Hagrid started to sob over the loss of his 'pet'.

"A-Albus there is a-a-a giant h-hole in the c-castle."

"What wonderful observation skills you have Quirrell." Severus said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. The mutinous glare that Quirrell gave him did not go unnoticed by the Potions Master, but he chose to ignore it.

"There is something stuck to the trapdoor Albus." Minerva said, as she made her way towards it. She reached down to pick up the note, and began to read it out loud.

_To Whom It May Concern,_

_Once again those in charge of this school amaze me. Why on earth would anyone lock that poor griffin up when they know full well that griffins do not do well indoors? The poor thing was half dead, so I took care of the problem just like I took care of the Cerberus. I have placed a spell on the trapdoor to keep it from being opened. Now you don't have to lock up vicious animals in a school full of CHILDREN! Merlin save us from your stupidity._

_Sincerely,_

_Someone with Common Sense _

Albus scowled at the note in Minerva's hand, but Minerva herself kept a smile from creeping across her face. Severus's eyes danced with laughter in the semi-darkness, but he too schooled his features to be unreadable. Quirrell on the other hand, snorted.

"This is t-the s-s-second time that p-person has bested you A-Albus." He said with a chuckle.

Albus glared at the man, but quickly made his way over to the trapdoor. He waved his wand over it for a minute, but then he frowned.

"There is no spell on this door." He said, looking at the others. Then he reached down to grasp the handle of the trapdoor.

That was a mistake.

He squealed like a little girl when small bolts of lightning sprang up from the handle, and the electric shock sent him flying into the wall.

"Albus!" Minerva cried, as she rushed over to him.

"I'm alright. I'm alright." He assured her, as he unsteadily got to his feet.

Quirrell didn't even try to hide is amusement over the situation, and Severus eyed the trapdoor in fascination.

"I-I guess that m-m-makes it t-three times he h-has b-b-bested you." Quirrell said through his laughter, which caused him to receive another glare.

"Headmaster, if I may, if a note from an unknown source says that they have placed a spell on an object, perhaps it is best you not touch it." Severus said, in a slightly amused tone.

"Yes, thank you Severus." Albus said dryly, as he half leaned on Minerva for support.

"Come on Albus, let's get you to Poppy. Hagrid, will you take him while Severus, Professor Quirrell, and I clean up?" She asked.

"O-of course P-Professor." Hagrid said, as he blew his nose, and looked at the sky again.

"Oh stop blubbering Hagrid." Severus said. "Perhaps it's for the best."

"He was starting to look awful." Hagrid agreed, as he gave one last glance at the sky. "Maybe he will be better off."

"Yes. Now, get Albus to Poppy." Minerva said a bit impatiently.

They watched as Hagrid led a still unsteady Albus out of the corridor, then the three of them began to repair the hole in the wall.

* * *

Poppy did her part by keeping Albus in the hospital wing all day, much to the Headmaster's annoyance. He tried to assure her that he was perfectly fine, which he was, but Poppy wanted to 'keep him under observation' because she had never heard of a spell that electrocutes people before.

Severus and Salazar watched the memory of the event in Severus's pensieve, and Salazar nearly laughed himself silly over the whole thing. Severus asked what the spell was and Salazar told him that it was one he had invented. The muggles had actually given him the idea when they invented electricity, and he had just adopted the basics of it. It won't power muggle electronics, but it will give off an electrical shock. It is also undetectable, but not deadly unless someone is repeatedly exposed to it over a short period of time.

The rest of the day Salazar spent in the library, which is where he had been for most of the holidays. He had been studying books on law, and trying to figure out ways of getting Sirius out of Azkaban, but he hadn't had much luck.

James told him that the information about their secret keeper was in their wills. Unfortunately, with them _not_ being dead, they had no way to access the wills, and the goblins were the only ones that knew the Potters had even made wills in the first place. Also, the goblins weren't about to break protocol and release the wills because the parties in question weren't dead, even if the Potters told them too.

Salazar couldn't do anything himself either, seeing as he was a 'minor', and short of Nicholas walking into the Ministry with knowledge he shouldn't have and demanding a trial, they were stuck. Even _if_ they had Pettigrew in their hands. It would cause too many questions, and not only would it blow Salazar's cover, but it would put the Potters in danger.

And that was not something they could afford at any cost.

As much as it pained him to do so, James told Salazar to leave well enough alone for now. They knew where Peter was, and as long as they kept an eye on him and didn't let any information slip out, he shouldn't get suspicious and run. It killed him to know that his best friend was sitting in the worst prison in the world, but with Voldemort in such close proximity, it was safer not to make a move.

The only thing Salazar could do was agree with the logic.

* * *

Poppy finally let Albus out of the hospital wing just as the train arrived in Hogsmeade, and he had to run all the way to his rooms to freshen up before the children arrived and dinner began. He had spent most of his day split between trying to get Poppy to let him go, and thinking about the current situation.

He needed to find some way to get Harry to confront Voldemort over the stone, but the boy was being uncooperative. He clearly didn't have his father's curious spirit because he hadn't even gone near the third floor the entire holiday.

_The boy has spent the entire break in the library or in the common room reading! He needs to get out and explore the castle!_ Albus thought to himself, as he changed out of one gaudy set of robes and put on another. _He needs to get into mischief, just like his father did. He should be in Gryffindor!_

_But he's not in Gryffindor._ Said a little voice in the back of Albus's mind. _He's in Slytherin._

Albus sighed as he sat on the edge of his bed. He hated that fact. He hated that Harry was in Slytherin. He had been hoping that since Harry was friends with the Weasley twins that some of their mischief making would rub off onto him, but that clearly wasn't the case. He needed to figure out how to deal with Harry, and get him to face Voldemort. He wasn't worried about Voldemort getting the stone. It had already been safely placed into the Mirror of Erised, and Albus had placed several strong enchantments on it.

There was also that _other _problem. The one who kept messing up all his plans. He needed to figure out who this mysterious person was, and stop him. How was Harry and Quirrell supposed to get into the underground chambers and fight for the stone, if the trapdoor was going to electrocute them?

Albus didn't know, but he was going to find this person, and make them disappear…if he had too.

* * *

"Harry! Harry! Harry!"

"Neville! Neville! Neville!" Salazar answered with a teasing grin, as the excited boy came running towards him.

The students had just arrived and dinner was going to start soon, but Hermione and Neville decided to pay him a visit at the Slytherin table. Blaise had just sat down, and he grinned as the two Gryffindors rushed over.

"My Gram took me to Ollivander's the day after Christmas and I got a proper wand! I even got to test it out in Ollivander's shop, and it works great. Its thirteen inches long, and is made from cherry wood and unicorn hair. Gram even conjured a match and I was able to turn it into a needle with no problems, and she was so proud of me!" He exclaimed breathlessly as his eyes shone brightly. "When we got on the train, Hermione, Blaise, and I ran through the charms and other transfiguration spells that we learned, and I was able to do most of them with no problem too!"

"He did do really well." Blaise confirmed as he grinned at Neville, who was smiling so broadly that Salazar was afraid his face would stay like that.

"I am very happy for you Neville." Salazar said with a sincere smile. "Now you shouldn't have a problem with your school work."

"Yeah, I am hoping my grades will improve now since it won't be such a struggle." Neville grinned. "Anyway, I wanted to give your wand back to you, seeing as I won't need it anymore. I told my Gram what you did for me and she was very surprised. She said that even though you're a Parselmouth and a Slytherin that you are ok with her. She even told me that our Mums were best friends in school, and that she is happy that we are friends." He said, though his cheeks grew red with embarrassment at the last part.

Salazar laughed. "I didn't know our Mums were friends, but it's always good to know things like that. I'm so glad I was able to help you."

"You did Harry, you really did. Thank you so much." Neville said, as he handed over the holly and phoenix wand.

_"Bushy, thank you for my present." _Nora said, as she slithered out of Salazar's robe sleeve.

She still had on the hat and fleece sock, but Salazar had changed the colors to green and sliver now since it was after Christmas. Nora liked it that much, and since it was often cold in the castle, it also kept her warm.

"Oh look at you Nora! You're so cute!" Hermione exclaimed as Blaise and Neville started laughing.

"I had to give up my hat, but she refuses to part with her costume, so I changed the colors. It also keeps her warm."

Hermione grinned at them. "I'm so glad you didn't think it was too weird, but I didn't even think about it keeping her warm. Snakes don't like the cold."

_"No we don't." _Nora said, as she held her head up to allow Blaise to pet her. _"Speaker, tell them class starts again next week, seeing as it is already Thursday night, I'll let them have tomorrow off."_

Salazar laughed, and repeated what she said. By that time though, dinner was starting so the Gryffindors said goodbye and headed for their table.

Salazar stuffed the extra wand in his pocket. After reading all that he could about wands and wandlore, he had come to the conclusion that Albus could not have possibly manipulated that event. It had surprised Salazar. The wand chooses the wizard, and there is no getting around that. He just didn't understand _why_ this particular wand chose _him_. It was simply baffling.

"So Potter, did you enjoy your time _alone_. With no parents, relatives, or anyone who cares about you really. It must have been depressing."

_"Puny is asking to be bitten."_ Nora hissed, as she glared at the boy.

_"It's fine. Let him blabber on."_ Salazar said, but then he turned to Draco. "Actually Draco, I had a brilliant time. I read a lot, and learned lots of new spells."

Blaise picked up on the meaning immediately, and he laughed. "That means you got to practice them too. I bet you became really good at casting them."

"Yes I did." Salazar said with a nod, as Draco's eyes widened. "I learned the Bat Bogey hex, the pus squirting hex, the stinging jinx, the tail growing hex, and the knee reversal hex. Just to name a few." Salazar rattled off as he looked at Blaise with a grin.

"You'll have to teach me some of those Harry." Blaise said with a laugh. "They sound brilliant."

"They are, and I'll teach them to you."

_"Just as long as it doesn't interfere with my lessons."_ Nora said, as she slithered over to the end of the table and coiled up.

_"It won't my dear."_ Salazar assured her.

"Ok, I caught 'lessons'." Blaise said, as he looked from Salazar to Nora, and Salazar nodded and repeated what Nora had said.

"You're learning pretty fast." Salazar commented. "As are the rest."

"Did you have lessons with Fred and George over the holiday?"

Salazar shook his head. "No, they were more interested in pelting me with snowballs." He said with a grin, and Blaise laughed.

"It still seems pretty stupid to learn a language you can't speak, but I suppose the idea did come from a mudblood. By the way, your snake looks stupid." Draco said with a sneer.

Salazar had to quickly grab Nora as she lunged off the table, and over his plate towards Draco.

_"Say what you want about me, but DON'T call Bushy that awful name!" _Nora yelled as she twisted and struggled to get out of Salazar's grip.

She was hissing loudly, and it all happened so suddenly, that Draco jumped backwards in his seat. His bottom slipped off the bench and he lost his balance, grabbed Crabbe, who grabbed Goyle, who grabbed his _plate _of all things, and they all tumbled to the floor in a large heap. There was the sound of a bone snapping and Salazar cringed, as the trio slowly separated.

"Madam Pomfrey! I think someone broke something!" Blaise shouted, as he tried to hold in his laughter. The other Slytherins didn't even try to hold it in though. Those around them burst out laughing and began pointing.

"Draco, I have told you before, you need to watch what you say." Salazar said. "You almost got bit."

As they stood up and began brushing food out of their hair and off their robes, Draco glared at him.

"Shut up Potter!" He spat.

"Which one of you has a broken bone?" Poppy asked as she came bustling over.

"Oh uh…me." Crabbe said, showing her his arm and wincing slightly.

"Come with me then." She said, and led him out of the great hall.

"What happened Potter?!" Severus snapped as he came up behind them. "Are you causing trouble?"

Salazar opened his mouth to speak, but Draco cut across him. "His stupid snake tried to attack me for no reason!" He shouted, pointing at Nora, who was _still_ hissing at him.

"He called Hermione a mudblood." Salazar said, summing it all up.

Severus glared at both of them, but grabbed Draco by his robes and forcefully dragged the blond away. He also snapped at Goyle to follow, and they all began walking out the great hall.

"When I tell my father about this, he's going to have that stupid snake killed! You'll see Potter! This is all your fault!"

Severus pushed him out of the room, as Salazar shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"One day he will hopefully learn to stop riding his Daddy's coat tails." He said, as he sat back down.

"What?" Blaise asked, looking at him with confusion.

"It's a muggle expression." He said with a sigh, and then explained it.

Blaise laughed. "Well, Draco accused Hermione of coming up with the idea for the Parseltongue lessons. I wonder what he would do if he realized that it was actually _two_ pure-bloods."

"Considering that it was Fred and George, he would still call it stupid because they are 'blood-traitors'." He said with a sigh. "It's the stupidest word ever thought up."

"Yeah." Blaise agreed with a nod. "But for what it's worth, my Mum thinks it is neat that I'm learning it. She also thinks that us being friends is wonderful."

"Well I suppose it's always good to have parental consent." Salazar said with a laugh.

"You sure don't have Mrs. Weasley's consent." Blaise laughed.

Salazar grinned at him. "I don't think Fred and George really care."

* * *

"Time and time again your father has told you NOT to antagonize Potter! What part of that hasn't sunk in yet?" Severus hissed at the blond.

He had dragged them down into his office, and now Severus was pacing back and forth behind his desk, as Draco scowled at him.

"I don't see why!" Draco shouted. "They haven't given me a reason!"

"They have their reasons Draco, but if they haven't told you, then it is not my place to do so. I suggest you listen to them." Severus answered a bit more calmly.

"But it's like they think he's the bloody Dark Lord or something! I don't…"

"Show some respect!" Severus shouted, but decided not to elaborate on just _who_ the boy should be showing respect towards.

Draco scowled at him at him again. "Potter is _not _special. So what, he's good in class, but that's about it. I don't get why everyone wants to walk on eggshells around him! The whole house is scared of him, except Zabini, who's an idiot anyway! _I'm _not scared of Potter! You don't like him, so why shouldn't I!?"

"I have my reasons Draco." Severus said in a cold voice. "But I am an adult. You need to heed your parents' warning. You do realize that the Headmaster is going to force me to write to your father, don't you?" He asked and Draco glared at him.

"I don't care."

Severus sighed. "One day Draco, one day you will be sorry you ever antagonized Potter." Severus said, shaking his head. He so badly wanted to shake some sense into the boy, but he knew he couldn't. "Just heed your father's warning, and expect another angry letter from him later in the week."

"Fine!" Draco shouted. "Come on Goyle."

Severus watched as both boys stomped out of his office. He suddenly began to wonder if there was any truth in the book that the real Harry Potter had sent to Salazar.

* * *

The next few weeks flew by for Salazar as winter faded into early spring, and before he even realized it, it was the beginning of March. Nicholas was out of the country on business, so he hadn't dropped by for a chat with Dumbledore yet, and the only thing that kept Salazar distracted was the ever increasing pain in his scar. He was now going to see Poppy nearly every day to get pain potions.

He knew Voldemort was getting angry because he didn't have the stone yet. Quirrell himself was looking even paler these days than he normally did. Salazar knew Quirrell was dying. It was unavoidable. The possession was literally sucking him dry, and if they didn't get the stone soon, Voldemort would have to leave Quirrell's body behind. Salazar did not feel sorry for the man though, if he was stupid enough to let Voldemort possess him in the first place, then he deserved to die.

It was during this time that Albus called in the detention he had set for the boys at the beginning of the year during the whole blood magic debate. Salazar had secretly been hoping that he had forgotten about it, but apparently luck wasn't with him. So that is why he and his dorm mates found themselves walking with Filch towards Hagrid's hut in the middle of the night on a Saturday. Draco was complaining like he always did, but when Hagrid said they were going into the forest, they _all_ nearly flipped out.

"It's called Forbidden for a _reason_!" Salazar shouted.

"There are werewolves in there!"

"Vampires!"

"Bats!"

"Snakes!"

"Well at least Potter can talk to those, and Zabini can understand them." Nott said rolling his eyes at Goyle, who had mentioned the snakes.

"You do have a point there." Salazar said.

"Professor Dumbledore set this detention, and I don't want to hear any more about it, you hear?" Hagrid said sternly. "Now, you all just stay close to me and we'll be off."

With lots of grumbling and complaining, most of it surprisingly coming from Salazar, they set off. He decided that if Hagrid was in the front, then he was going to take the back in case anything nasty snuck up behind them.

_"Nora, wrap yourself around my neck, and keep a look out. Let me know if you see the heat signatures of anything big."_

"Yeah Nora, please warn us if you see anything." Blaise said with a shaky voice as he inched closer to Hagrid.

_"I will keep a look out Speaker. Don't worry Zabby, I'm the only one allowed to bite you." _She teased.

"Normally I would laugh Nora, but right now, I just can't." Blaise answered.

"What did you say to her Harry?" Hagrid asked curiously, as they made their way deeper into the forest.

"She's a snake so therefor she can see heat signatures. I told her watch for anything big."

"Oh right. Yeah that's good thinking." He replied. "I got Fang too, so he can sniff stuff out."

_"Let's just hope he can eat whatever attacks us."_ Nora said sarcastically.

This time Blaise and Salazar snorted.

They continued to go further and further into the forest. The children had their wands held high to try and provide more light, and Hagrid held his lantern straight out in front of him. They were making as much noise as possible to scare off the critters, and they kept hearing the leaves rustle as they scurried away. All the while Salazar kept mumbling about 'bloody Gryffindors' under his breath.

_"Speaker, there is a large horse off to the right."_

"Where to the right?" Blaise nearly shrieked, and everyone but Crabbe turned in that direction.

"Crabbe that is your left, and she said it's a horse." Salazar said with a sigh.

"Centaur." Hagrid corrected. "They must be following us. Just stay close."

_Centaur? _Salazar thought. _Since when are they allowed to roam the grounds of Hogwarts?_

He shrugged off the thought though, and kept walking. Then all of a sudden Hagrid stopped beside a bush, and all of them crashed into the back of him.

"We are getting close." He said, lifting up his fingers to show them a thick silvery substance. "This is unicorn blood, and it's what we are here to find. This one is hurt really bad, so we need to split up. Half of you come with me, the other half go with Harry. I say that because you're pretty good for an eleven year old. Just like your Mum." He said with a smile.

Salazar smiled back, but he didn't like the idea of splitting up. "Are you sure that's a good idea Hagrid?"

"I'm sure." He whispered. "We need to find the unicorn."

Salazar sighed. "Alright then, who's coming with me?"

Unsurprisingly, no one moved.

"Alright then, I'll choose the teams." Hagrid said. "Zabini and Crabbe go with Harry, and the rest of you follow me."

They sighed as they split off into teams. Salazar started grumbling again, and Blaise kept turning his head in every direction so fast that Salazar was afraid the boy was going to give himself whiplash. Crabbe on the other hand, almost tripped over every stick he encountered.

_"There are more horses Speaker." _Nora said nervously.

_"Where are they?"_

_"All around."_

Blaise gave a little whimper, but Salazar shushed him. "Just stick close to me."

"What's going on?" Crabbe asked.

"Centaurs are all around us."

"Oh ok."

Salazar rolled his eyes, and plowed on ahead. After a few minutes, they came to a small clearing, and that's when Salazar's scar exploded in pain. He gasped and clutched at his head, but then he looked up. What he saw nearly made him sick. There was someone leaning over the unicorn and drinking its blood.

"Run! Get back to Hagrid!" Salazar shouted, as the figure stood up and began advancing towards them.

Blaise and Crabbe screamed bloody murder and began running away, but Salazar fired several loud blasts from his wand to alert Hagrid to the danger. The figure, who Salazar was pretty sure was Quirrell judging by the amount of pain he was in, staggered backwards for a moment when the blasts went off.

Then Quirrell drew his own wand, and tried to hit Salazar with a stunner.

The duel that followed was nothing short of chaotic. Stunners were flying through the air from both of them now, but soon it turned a bit nastier. Quirrell started firing off the Cruciatus curse, and Salazar didn't want to tangle with those, so he began dodging them. He didn't want to respond with any Unforgivables just in case someone checked his wand later, but he did start responding with the 'nasty curses' he read about in the book he 'found' in the common room.

He sent a beheading curse, leg vanishing curse, and a stunner for good measure, but somehow Quirrell was able to block and/or dodge them. Salazar knew that Quirrell wouldn't know what the first two were, but the stunner he knew, but apparently Quirrell had enough and started responding with killing curses.

Salazar was tempted to just stand there and let them all hit him, but figured he better not because it would raise too many questions. Besides, he didn't want Voldemort know about _that_ particular little secret just yet.

He ran around behind a large tree and quickly disillusioned himself, and stood as still and quiet as he could, considering that he was breathing heavily.

A few minutes passed, and he could hear Quirrell searching for him, but suddenly he heard yelling, and then the tell-tale '_thowng_' of an arrow hitting the tree he was hiding behind. He heard Hagrid shout something, but then he saw Quirrell flee for his life as more arrows began flying through the air.

Finally it was all quiet, and he cautiously poked his head around the tree and saw Hagrid standing there, with the children huddled up behind him.

"Harry? You there? It's alright. Please say something! It's just me!" Hagrid called out frantically.

Salazar quickly dispelled the disillusionment charm, and stepped out from behind the tree.

"I'm here. I'm alright, just a little beat up."

"Are you sure? I saw a bunch of red and green flashes!"

"Yes sir, I think they were stunners and killing curses. Who was that man?"

"I don't know Harry, but we better get back to the castle. I need to tell Professor Dumbledore about this." Hagrid said gravely, as he gazed at the dead unicorn.

At the mention of Dumbledore's name, Salazar suddenly felt the urge to begin blowing stuff up.

* * *

"Over there Mr. Potter." Poppy said, pointing towards an empty hospital bed. "I need to check you over."

Salazar was so angry that he didn't even protest. She had already checked the other children over and deemed them fine, so she had sent them off to bed. It was just her and Salazar in the hospital wing for the moment, and he knew she had questions, but honestly, he didn't feel like answering them. He was tired, sore, and had cuts and bruises all over his face and arms from dodging all the curses Quirrell had thrown at him. He was also covered in dirt and had bits of leaves and twigs stuck in his hair, so needless to say, he looked like a mess.

During the trek back to the castle, he had been lost in thought. He wasn't an expert on unicorns, but he did know that unicorn blood could sustain someone even if they were close to death. This to Salazar only meant that Voldemort was getting desperate, because even Salazar knew that killing a unicorn and drinking its blood was a big no no, because it would leave the drinker with a cursed life.

Poppy's curiosity finally got the best of her and she whispered, "What happened?"

Salazar just sighed and shook his head. "Voldemort." He answered simply.

Her eyes became wider than galleons and she started to ask another question, but she was interrupted by the hospital wing doors opening.

Albus strolled in with Minerva and Severus following along behind him, but they were shooting glares at him behind his back. Quirrell must not be back from the forest yet because he was nowhere to be seen.

Albus was smiling his grandfatherly smile and his eyes were twinkling as he looked at the 'boy' laying in the bed.

"Harry, what happed? Hagrid said you were attacked by an unknown wizard." He said calmly.

_HA! Unknown wizard my left foot! You know exactly who it was!_ Salazar thought as he glared at the Headmaster.

"Harry?" Albus asked as he peered at him over his glasses. "Will you tell us what happened?"

Salazar's glare deepened, but then he had a thought and began to smile. "Yes sir, I'll tell you what happened." He said with a bright smile. "You see, my dorm mates and I were out serving our detention that _you _set. The party consisted of six children with barely enough magical knowledge to defend themselves, and a gamekeeper who, for some reason, can't use magic. We were just trailing along, sniffing the flowers, and having a grand old time out in the _Forbidden_ Forest looking for a hurt unicorn, when all of a sudden…we stopped!" Salazar exclaimed, as he wildly waved his hands around, but then he continued.

"We found the blood of the hurt unicorn, and so we split up to find it. My two dorm mates and I continued on, and pretty soon we realized, thanks to Nora, that we were surrounded by Centaurs!" He shouted in a fake happy voice. "But they aren't anything to worry about, because you know, they just don't like humans. Anyway, we continued on until we came to this _creepy_ clearing and…" He said, pausing for effect, "there was a man!" He said exclaimed.

Then he lowered his voice as if he were telling a campfire tale. "He was dressed in all black and was drinking the blood of the dead unicorn. We all gasped in surprise, and he looked up and started walking towards us. My dorm mates started screaming, and they ran, but then all of a sudden…BOOM!" He shouted loudly, making all the others jump. "He started firing curses at me. I recognized the bright red ones as stunning spells, and tried to return them. I don't know how powerful they were, but at least a red light came out of my wand. He deflected them, so I guess we won't know. Anyway, that went on for a bit, but then he stared firing some sickly looking red spells at me, and from my reading, I think it was the Cruciatus Curse, but I'm not sure."

"What!?" Minerva exclaimed loudly, but Poppy shushed her.

"Hush Minerva. This is a good story, and I want to hear more. Go on Mr. Potter, what happened next?" She asked in a fake curious voice.

Salazar wanted to kiss her, but he settled for grinning.

"Well, what happed next was…I started using some of the nasty spells I read in the book I found. I don't know if I did them right, and I don't think the man knew what they were, but I used a beheading hex, leg vanishing hex, and a stunning spell. The man seemed to not like that at all, and started firing green spells at me! I think it was the killing curse, because I read that that one is green."

This time both Poppy and Minerva exclaimed, "WHAT!?"

Salazar just ignored them, but he put on false happy smile. "Well, after that I ran around and hid behind a tree. The man tried to find me but he couldn't, and that's when Hagrid and the rest showed up. It was the best detention EVER Headmaster. Thank you for allowing me to have such a _wonderful_ experience!" He exclaimed with a smile, but then he glared him. "Forgive me Headmaster, but I think you're an idiot for sending us all in there, in the middle of the night, practically defenseless, and obviously without a care to our safety."

"POTTER!" Severus shouted in warning, but he was standing behind Albus and was grinning like a fool.

Salazar ignored him, and continued to glare at Albus. "This school, under your leadership, seems to not care about the safety of the students. You have locked up a three headed dog, a griffin, and who knows what else, that is, if the rumors are true. Those creatures are dangerous, and I have half a mind to find another school to transfer too. Researching other magical schools will become a priority over the summer, and if next year is anything like this year, I _will _be leaving."

Salazar knew he wouldn't leave, but he wanted to give Albus something to think about. Then he sighed heavily, and laid down in his bed.

Albus stared at him as if he was lost for words, but then he put on his best smile and spoke in his best grandfatherly tone.

"Harry, I don't think there is any reason for that. It sounds like you handled yourself well, though I don't agree with the beheading and leg vanishing curses, so I will ask you not to use such dark curses in the future."

Salazar raised an eyebrow at him. "Sir, with all due respect, if someone is trying to do me serious harm, my reaction will be to return in kind. Especially if they are trying to kill me. If someone is trying to kill me, I will try to kill them. In my opinion, it is not murder, it is self-defense. It's only logical."

"I think I remember Lily saying something similar as well." Minerva said, and Albus glared at her for it.

"We need to talk about this Harry." He said, and began to sit down, but Poppy stopped him.

"There will be no talking about it tonight. I'm sorry Headmaster, but this boy needs medical attention and rest. It can be talked about later, so out. All of you!" She said firmly, and began shooing them out of the hospital wing.

She made Salazar get cleaned up and gave him hospital clothes to change into. Then she made him take a pain and dreamless sleep potion. He didn't remember anything else after that.**  
**

* * *

***A/N* Hey guys, my poll on my profile is still up! Right now it seems you all want me to make this one long story, so if you have a different preference, let me know in a review or by voting! Thank you guys! **


	17. Facing the Truth

***A/N* THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!**

*****WARNINGS AND TRIGGERS FOR THIS CHAPTER*****

**This chapter involves character death with mentions of possible suicide by jumping. I do not go into gory details and i do not dwell on the matter. It is briefly touched upon in two very short paragraphs, and then no more is said about it. I wanted to warn anyone who may have sensitivities to this issue. I hope this subject does not offend anyone, and i deeply apologize if it does.**

* * *

**Chapter 17**

**Facing the Truth**

"…and then I blew a giant hole in the castle's walls and set the griffin free!" Salazar laughed as he laid there on his back and stared at the sky. "Rowena, you would have killed me, Helga, you would have had to somehow bring me back to life, and Godric you would have laughed and probably helped."

It was a clear spring day, and Salazar was laying in the grassy clearing where he had met with Nicholas and Perenelle. He hadn't been able to come and visit as much as he had wanted to, but today was Sunday, and he took a moment to get away from all the chaos.

Hermione was in full-fledged panic mode, seeing as exams were right around the corner. She and Salazar had pulled together some of their year mates and formed study groups. He was surprised that some of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were willing to join, but they were gladly taking advantage of the opportunity. The only Slytherins in the group were him and Blaise because no one else would join the 'mudbloods' and 'blood-traitors'. As for the Gryffindors, it was only Hermione, Neville, Dean Thomas, and Parvati Patil. Come to find out, Minerva's talk with Ron hadn't sunk in. He had just been too scared to do anything for a while, and so, he didn't want to study with 'greasy Slytherins'. His best friend, Seamus Finnigan, felt much the same way, and the other Gryffindor girls could care less about studying.

Salazar sighed as he continued to lay there. "You would all be proud me of me though. I have made friends with a muggle born _and_ she's a Gryffindor." He said, looking at Godric's gave. "Also, I have befriended another Gryffindor who Helga would love to get her hands on because he loves Herbology. I have befriended two _more_ Gryffindors who are brilliant pranksters. Rowena, you would hate them simply because they could give Godric and I a run for our galleons." He said with a chuckle.

Then he smiled softly. "I say friends because I think that's what they are. Granted, they are children, but they are very bright children. None of them are my best buddies, because I do want to keep that line drawn, but I think it's alright to call them friends. It's been so long since I've had so many. Nicholas, Perenelle, the Potters, and another that I can't mention do to an Unbreakable Vow, are the only other ones. I love to teach the children new things. Hermione is a brilliant little girl and I always wonder why she didn't end up in Ravenclaw, but I keep forgetting to ask her that. Neville was shy at first, but he came out of his shell and is a wonderful lad, very polite and caring. Fred and George are the only ones that know the truth about me, but they don't care about that. They love to hear stories about the pranks Godric and I pulled, and dare I have the audacity to say, I think they may even look up to me. Blaise wasn't my friend at first, and quite frankly, he's my only Slytherin friend, but that's ok I suppose. Seeing that I am portraying 'Slytherin's Arch Enemy' I guess it's to be expected." He said with another sad smile. "I've also been teaching the children Parseltongue. They have enjoyed it immensely and can understand it fluently now. I've also been teaching Severus as well, but his lessons are sporadic at best, because we have to find time around our schedules. Not to mention, find ways to be secretive about it, seeing as he's supposed to hate me. We have plans to continue over the summer though."

"But, I suppose I've bored you all with the retelling of this past year, so I will leave you in peace. I do want to say though, Dumbledore will have a lot to answer for, and my goal is to have him answer for some of the wrongs he has committed. In the short term though, I need to take care of that blasted boy who fancies himself my Heir. While that may be true, I am none too pleased with him, and Tom Riddle _will_ be answering to _me_ for what he has done." He said with a scowl, but then his face softened and he smiled again.

"I love you all, and I miss you so much." He continued, as he gazed sadly at the graves. "I wish I hadn't done what I did, and I regret it terribly. I was selfish and I should not have left you all. Godric, I am so sorry I didn't listen to you. You were right, and I was wrong. I hope that you know that, and I hope that you can forgive me. I must go though. Hermione has probably sent out a hunting party for me, but I'll come back another time, so for now, goodbye by friends." He finished, and then he stood up and quietly headed back towards the castle.

* * *

Salazar was rounding the corner and heading towards the library when Hermione burst out of said library. She looked like a frazzled mess. Her hair was frizzed out, she had an ink stain on her nose, and she was carrying a small stack of parchment in one of her hands. However, she stopped in mid-stride, and threw her hands up in the air when she caught sight of him.

"There you are!" She exclaimed, and proceeded to drag him towards the library.

"I was headed that way Hermione, you don't have to drag me." He chuckled.

She let go of him and sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm just so…so…ugh!" She said, throwing her hands up again in frustration.

Salazar laughed as he followed her to one of the back tables. The study group was sitting there and they all looked up and grinned when they approached.

"That was quick." Blaise whispered.

"I found him in the corridor." Hermione whispered back, and then she got that frazzled look on her face again and started talking really fast. "Ok, now that Harry is here, we can start properly. Dean, you need to quiz Neville in charms, and…no…that won't work. Parvati needs to quiz Neville in charms. Dean can go over…"

"Hermione stop." Salazar said, giving her an amused grin. "Breathe. Just breathe." He said, taking in a deep breath as if to show her how.

"But we have too…"

"I know." He interrupted her. "But you also have to realize that a lot of studying has to be done alone as well. One cannot learn if someone keeps hounding them. When it comes to memorization, then it's time for partners. Otherwise, no one will learn a thing."

"But grades are…"

"I know." He said again. "Good marks are extreamly important, and I don't deny that. You just have to breathe."

"Yeah, in and out, in and out." Justin Finch-Fletchley, a muggle-born Hufflepuff said.

She shot him a dirty look, and then laid her head on the table. "You guys are right. I'm sorry. I'm just so worried that I will fail everything."

"Well unless your Crabbe or Goyle, I don't think you have to worry about that." Blaise said.

"Ok, let's not do that." Salazar said sternly. "But no, you won't fail everything. You just need to calm down and get focused, because honestly, I'm not above spiking your pumpkin juice with a calming drought."

She looked at him with wide-eyes. "You wouldn't."

"I would." He answered with a grin.

"He is a Slytherin." Terry Boot said with a laugh.

"That's right. I'm a sneaky, slimy, stinking, sodding, slippery Slytherin serpent." He said with a grin. "But at least I warned you first."

"True." Hannah Abbot said with a giggle. "But you forgot 'git'."

"That too." Salazar said, as Blaise and Neville snorted.

"Would you really spike my juice?" Hermione asked.

"No, but I can threaten it." He said honestly. "I would never spike your juice without your knowledge. However, I _would _say 'Hermione, I'm going to put this calming drought in your juice', and then I would make you drink it."

"Because he is a Slytherin." Neville laughed.

She glared at both Salazar and Neville, but then she giggled. "I don't think you really would, but I do understand your point. I just need you guys to keep reminding me to calm down."

"We promise." They all chorused, and then the whole table began giggling.

Salazar just laughed and shook his head as they began to study. It was only the middle of April and exams were still a month away, but he was delighted, and a bit amused, by the children's willingness to study.

* * *

The day after Hermione's near breakdown in the library, Salazar received a letter from Nicholas saying that he would be arriving in two weeks' time. Well, those two weeks had passed, and now Salazar was at dinner, and he had been glancing at the doors every so often. Blaise was thankfully distracted by a conversation with Nora, so he didn't notice.

He had warned Poppy, Severus, Minerva, and the twins about Nicholas's arrival, so they were also expecting it. From where Salazar was sitting though, Minerva looked like she was about to burst with anticipation. They didn't have to wait long though. The doors to the great hall flew open, and both Nicholas and Perenelle walked in briskly.

Albus sat there stunned, and just stared at them with his mouth open. Perenelle glared at him, but Nicholas began to speak loudly.

"Albus, I am very sorry to interrupt your dinner, but I am a very busy man and don't have much time. You refuse to give me answers, so Perenelle and I have come to demand them! Get up young man, and let's go to your office to have a chat."

"Nicholas I can assure…"

"I'm done with your assurances Albus. I want real answers, and you will give them to me. Bring with you who you must, but come along. I'm not getting any younger just standing here."

Salazar was hysterically laughing internally, but he tried not to let it show on his face. Albus's expression was priceless as he stood there gaping at Nicholas. Perenelle was still glaring daggers at him, and that only made Salazar want to laugh even harder.

Albus sighed in defeat, but then he smiled at Nicholas. "Very well. Severus, Minerva, Pomona, Filius, and Quirinus, will you all please follow me?"

"Of course Albus." Minerva said, practically jumping out of her seat.

Salazar rolled his eyes though. He didn't see the need for all of them to go, but at least Severus was going as well. Just in case Voldemort tried anything. What made him nervous though, was that he had no idea what Nicholas and Perenelle were going to do.

* * *

"I'm sorry Albus, but you have left me no choice. I want to see my stone. I want to see the spells that are protecting it. You have refused me such knowledge with something that is my own property. Perenelle and mine's very _lives_ depend on that stone. I want to see it." Nicholas demanded.

"All right, but I assure you that it is well protected." Albus answered.

"We will be the judge of that." Perenelle answered in a haughty tone.

They made their way up to the third floor corridor, and stopped just at the trapdoor. Nicholas reached down but Severus stopped him.

"Forgive me Mr. Flamel, but that trapdoor electrocutes anyone who tries to open it."

"Is that so?" Nicholas asked, and they all nodded. "Well, can someone remove the spell?"

"We have tried." Albus said. "We can't remove it."

Perenelle raised an eyebrow at him. "Come again Albus? What do you mean, you have tried and cannot remove it?"

Albus shifted around uncomfortably. "Someone placed this spell here. Someone who I am unaware of."

"Voldemort?" Nicholas asked.

"No, I do not think so." Albus answered. "He has not even been here."

"Nicholas, have you ever heard of a spell that can electrocute people?" Perenelle asked.

"I have, but I have to make sure it's the same spell my dear. Who here can describe it to me?" He asked, as he looked around the group.

Minerva spoke up and told them what happened to Albus when he tried to touch the door handle, and Severus tried not to laugh at the memory of it all.

"Very good. Yes, that it is the very one." Nicholas said, and he waved his wand over the trapdoor.

The trapdoor glowed red, then blue, then a brilliant orange before a very faint pop was heard. He reached down and opened the trapdoor without any problems and peered into the darkness below.

"What's next?" He asked, looking right at Albus.

"Now we have to jump into the trapdoor." Professor Sprout said anxiously. "My devil's snare is next, so perhaps I should go first."

"Are you sure Madam?" Perenelle asked kindly. "There are plenty of strong lads standing here that I'm sure would be glad to go in your stead. In fact, Albus I think you should go."

Professor Sprout blushed a deep red. "No, it is alright. I can go."

"Albus, I insist." Perenelle said with a stern glare, and he sighed loudly.

"It's alright Pomona, I'll go."

Professor Sprout nodded awkwardly and everyone watched as Albus jumped into the hole. They heard him land, but then a bright orange glow began emanating from the darkness. A moment later, Albus called up to them.

"It's a long drop, but aim for the middle. I didn't destroy it all."

One by one they all gently landed beside him by slowing their own descent, and then they began making their way towards the next room.

Professor Flitwick cleared his throat, and opened the door. When they all walked in, they looked up and noticed that high above their heads keys with wings were flittering around.

"They are charmed and cannot be vanished or summoned. They only way to get the real key is to catch it on the broom." He said, and pointed to a shoddy looking broom that was hovering in the corner. "The real key is the old one." He added.

"Albus, I do believe you should be the one to get it." Perenelle said in an offhanded way. Then she turned to Minerva. "It's very chilly down here. Are you cold as well Madam?"

Minerva smiled and nodded, but chose not to say anything for fear of laughing out loud, while Albus glared at Perenelle for suggesting that _he_ be the one to get it.

"Albus, I would appreciate it if you didn't glare at my wife in such a fashion. You're young enough to fly around on that broom, so get to it. I want to see my stone sometime before this century ends." Nicholas said with a hint of anger.

Albus sighed again, and for the next forty-five minutes they watched with somewhat amused expressions as Albus flew around on the shoddy old broom. When he finally caught the key, he landed looking somewhat winded and very annoyed. He unlocked the door, and they once again gathered to look at the next 'protection'.

"You have to play your way across the room, and then the door can be opened." Minerva said as they all stared at the giant chess board.

"Albus, I hear you're good at chess." Perenelle said pointedly.

"He is very good at chess my dear. He has beaten me hundreds of times." Nicholas said happily, as Albus glared at them.

"Don't think I don't know what you two are up to." He said with a hint of anger in his voice. "You want me to go through all this because I wouldn't tell you anything."

"We never pretended it was anything otherwise." Nicholas said calmly. "You had ample opportunity to tell us all of this before, and you chose not to. You Albus, not your staff, but you were charged with protecting the stone, and so far, I'm not impressed. A first year can make their way through these so called 'protections'."

"Please do not think that we speak badly about any of you." Perenelle said kindly, as she looked around the rest of them. "Nicholas is right, it was up to Albus to protect the stone."

"Well Albus, off you go. Get us through the next door."

Albus glared at them, as the rest of the staff either tried to hide their amusement or looked around nervously, but the next twenty minutes saw Albus nearly get crushed by the giant chess pieces. Finally though, they were able to move forward.

When they got to the next door Quirrell took charge.

"I-I am rather g-gifted with trolls, and m-m-mine is the next one. It's a t-troll."

"I think Albus can handle it." Perenelle said. "We will all wait here."

With muttered obscenities, Albus blasted the door off its hinges and cast several blasting curses at the troll which ended up killing it when one of the curses hit the troll's head.

Perenelle chuckled at Albus's obvious annoyance, and glanced at her husband.

_Salazar would love this._ She thought.

_Indeed my dear, but I fear he would have given us way because he would have been laughing so hard._

_What do we do about Voldemort? _She asked.

_Once I reveal that the stone is a fake, I would like for you to stand in a safe spot just in case he decides to get angry. Salazar has told Severus and Minerva where the tunnel for the Room of Requirement is. He had to remake the tunnel, but Minerva and Severus know where it is. I want you to go with them if things turn ugly._

_What about you?_

_I will be alright. I'm sure that between myself and Albus that we can contain him._

Perenelle nodded as they all made their way towards the next room, and that's when Severus spoke up.

"It's a logic puzzle, and I must warn you that flames will appear in both doorways when we all cross the threshold, so don't be alarmed. Also, the bottles are charmed to refill themselves, so we will all have to take a sip of the correct potion."

Perenelle looked at Albus expectantly, and he visibly gritted his teeth as he snarled at her. Nicholas made a move towards his wand, but Perenelle stepped between them.

"It's fine Nicholas. I feel we are coming to the end."

Nicholas stowed his wand, but didn't take his eyes off Albus. "Very well my dear. As you wish."

Albus glared at them, but turned and stalked through the doorway, as the others followed along behind him. Purple flames blocked the door they had just come through, but black flames sprang up in the doorway that led into the final chamber.

It only took Albus a minute or two to work out the logic puzzle though, and pretty soon they were standing in the last chamber, and the Mirror of Erised stood before them.

"This is the final protection. I charmed the mirror and placed the stone within it." He said in a cold voice.

"Let me see." Nicholas simply stated.

Albus sighed again, stepped in front of the mirror, and after a moment he handed the stone to Nicholas, who smiled brightly and took it from him.

"Yes, yes, very good. Excellent." He said, then he looked at Perenelle. "It _is_ a very good copy."

"Really?" Perenelle asked with a bit of excitement. "Let me hold it." She studied it closely for a few shorts moments, then she nodded. "Indeed. This is an excellent copy. He did a very good job."

"Yes he did."

"What are you talking about?" Albus asked suddenly, looking between the both of them in shock.

"Oh this?" Nicholas asked, taking the stone from Perenelle and tossing it over his shoulder, and it hit the floor with a loud clatter. "Is a fake. A copy. You see Albus, when Perenelle and I learned of your 'protections' we were very alarmed because my spy told me that you were putting innocent children in danger. I asked my spy, who is a very good friend of mine and someone I trust completely, to get my stone any way he could. When you told me Voldemort was after my stone, I gave it to you to protect. I thought you would hide it in your office under a Fidelius Charm, or have Fawkes take it somewhere and hide it. I never expected a Cerberus, and then later a griffin, to be brought into a school full of children."

"You used us, and our stone, to lure Voldemort here. Thankfully Voldemort never showed up, but isn't it interesting that of all this would happen in the very same year that Harry Potter came to Hogwarts. You put our very lives in danger because of your need to test an eleven year old child." Perenelle said angrily, as she glared at a still stunned Albus. "For years our stone has been safe under _real_ protections, enchantments, layers of wards, and other unpleasant things, but you said it was in danger, so we trusted you, and clearly, _that _was a mistake."

"Indeed it was my dear." Nicholas confirmed. "You see Albus, we have had the real stone in our possession since Halloween. My spy has been here the whole time keeping me updated on things, and by listening and paying attention to your comings and goings, he was able to learn a lot of things. He told me that Harry Potter is a Slytherin, and a very fine mannered young man and very powerful. Thankfully he is also not an idiot because he did not fall for your manipulations. You Albus, are not the only one in this school who can understand Parseltongue. Harry Potter loves to confide in that snake of his."

"Indeed. He saw through _all _of your manipulations, and is a true Slytherin through and through." Perenelle said with a haughty tilt of her head, as she looked down her nose at Albus.

"Albus, is all of this true? Have you purposely placed the only son of James and Lily in danger? Would you really concoct a stupid plan like this and try to lure _You-Know-Who_ of all people _here!? _Where there are innocent CHILDREN!?" Minerva shouted in anger. "This is a school Albus! Not a playground for you to test your wild ideas! If I wasn't _worried_ about the children, I would resign!"

The rest of the staff, minus Quirrell who looked to be in too much pain to speak, was glaring at Albus. Severus though, looked unreadable as always, but he was silently cheering on his Gryffindor partner in crime.

"You wouldn't be the only one to resign Minerva." Pomona said, glaring at the _still_ stunned and speechless Headmaster, but then she turned to the Flamels. "Sir, Madam, you have my deepest apologies for my role that I played in this _nonsense_. Had I known all of this, I wouldn't have had anything to do with it."

"Well said Pomona." Flitwick said. "Goblins have a word for people like you Albus, but out of the small amount of respect that I still hold for you, I won't say it. However, I will say that the Board of Governors should hear about this nonsense. As much as I dislike Lucius Malfoy and would hate to have to speak with him, I'm sure he would have a field day!"

At the mention of the Board of Governors, Albus finally found his voice. "Now Filius, there is no need for that. I realize now how wrong I was."

"See that it doesn't happen again Albus, because I will be keeping a close eye on you, as will my spy, who by the way, has no problems staying here to babysit you. Now, if someone would be so kind as to show us the way out, we need to be going." Nicholas said, turning quickly towards the door. "Also Albus, I'm afraid this marks the end of our friendship."

"Nicholas, what is the muggle term for the trinkets that muggles keep on their desks?" Perenelle asked.

"I believe you are thinking of a paperweight my dear." He answered.

"Yes, yes, that is it. Here Albus," she said, as she picked up the fake stone and tossed it at him. "Keep this paperweight as a reminder of us."

Albus fumbled it slightly as he grabbed it out of the air, but with a solemn sigh, he followed the group out of the underground chambers and back into the main part of the castle.

* * *

The next day the whole school was buzzing about the apparent suicide of Professor Quirrell. Hagrid found him on the ground under the astronomy tower, and rumor had it he had become tired of everyone mocking him and his teaching methods.

Salazar, Minerva, Poppy, and Severus sat down and talked about it, and after Salazar witnessed the memory of what happened in the underground chambers, they all came to the conclusion that Voldemort was so angry that he had been set up by Albus, and that the stone he had been chasing all year was a fake, that he forced Quirrell to jump. They also believed that Voldemort fled from the man's body just before he landed in order to keep Quirrell from saving himself. Severus agreed that it would be something that Voldemort would do.

Defense classes were canceled, but Albus sat with each class as they took the exams Quirrell had already prepared. Exams were slightly stressful for Salazar, but not because he was worried about his grades. He just wanted the children to do well.

Hermione fretted the entire week after they had taken the exams though, and was nearly at her bursting point when the results came back. No one was surprised that she had aced every one of them though. Salazar was also pleased to see that all those that had joined their study group got an 'A' or better. Neville received an 'E' on everything but potions, which he got an 'A' in, but that was only because he was still slightly afraid of Severus. Blaise did really good as well, and received an 'O' or an 'E' in all his classes. Salazar was really proud of them for doing so well.

As for Nora's 'exam' results though, she said that their passing grade was not being bitten.

* * *

The last week of school was a quiet one, and Salazar spent his blissfully pain free days sitting on the ground in the clearing talking to Godric, Rowena, and Helga. He told them everything that happened with Dumbledore and the Flamels, and said it was the funniest thing he had ever seen. He mentioned that Nicholas and Perenelle always seem to know what the other is thinking and they always know how to 'play off' of each other. He told his friends that he had been trying to figure out how they do it for centuries, but he had never come close, or so the Flamels had told him.

Salazar had been making it a point not make eye contact or even look at Albus, and to avoid the man altogether, but luck was not on his side the day before school ended. Severus had told him that Albus wanted to see him in his office, so they used a few shortcuts to make their way towards the Headmaster's office.

When they got there, Severus stood in his usual dark corner and Salazar sat down in one of the squashy chairs that sat in front of Dumbledore's desk.

"Harry do you know why I called you here this evening?" Albus asked gently.

Salazar was immediately on his guard because if Albus was playing nice, it meant he wanted something.

"No sir." He answered truthfully, and a bit curiously.

"I wanted to talk to you about your living arrangements. I know that you spent time at the Leaky Cauldron last year after you got your letter, but I must ask you not to do that this year. You Aunt and Uncle have agreed to take you for the summer. I have spoken with them, and they have assured me that you will have a proper room and meals."

"I'm sorry sir, but I'm not going back to that house. Ever. I can take care of myself. I've pretty much done that all my life, and I can manage for the next two months."

"Harry I'm afraid that I must insist. You see, when your Mother died to protect you, she did something very remarkable. She protected you with love. That is why you survived the killing curse all those years ago. Your Aunt Petunia is your mother's sister, and therefore has that connection with you and your mother. Through your Aunt, your mother's blood still protects you, and as long as you remain in your Aunt's house Voldemort cannot get to you, and you will be safe."

_Well that explains the blood wards._ Salazar thought. _Too bad they are useless._

"Safe?" Salazar laughed. "Hardly. My so called family hate me. I am no safer there than I would be living with Voldemort. I'm sorry Headmaster, but I'll be fine on my own."

"But Harry you see, I placed a Blood Bonding Charm on your relatives house. It not only keeps you safe, but your family as well. It works off of love, and ties back into your mother's sacrifice. As long as you can still call their house 'home' you will all be safe."

"I don't care. They hate me, and I hate them. There is no love towards me in that house, and I'm guessing that makes your Blood Bonding Charm useless. You have seen the evidence of what they have done to me. I have told you how they treated me. I'm not going back to that house, and I'm sorry to say, you can't make me."

"Harry, I'm afraid I must insist."

"And I'm afraid I must decline. You are not my guardian, you are my Headmaster. When I am not under this roof, what happens to me is not your concern. I will return to school next year, but I will not go back to Privet Drive."

"Very well, as you wish." Dumbledore said with a sigh. "Off you go then. Severus, will you remain behind please?"

"Of course Headmaster." He answered, giving Salazar a stern glare as he walked by him.

The only thing Salazar could think of as he made his way back to the common room was that, that had been way too easy.

* * *

"Hey Harry, Fred and I were wondering if we could talk to you, so can you come here for a moment?" George asked, as he poked his head into the train compartment that Hermione, Neville, Salazar, and Blaise were sharing.

He looked up at them a bit startled, but then he nodded and followed them into one of the few empty compartments and sat down.

"Alright, what has you two so secretive?" Salazar asked with a grin as he studied the boys closely.

Fred laughed. "Well we know it's a long shot, seeing as you're ancient and full of authority and all, but we were wondering if you knew of a way to remove the trace. You know, the one they place on underage wizards."

Salazar grinned at them, then he burst out laughing. "And you think calling me ancient is going to make me help you." He teased. "I do know the way to avoid the trace, but I'm afraid you have already been charmed for the upcoming summer. However, since you will be fifteen next summer and going into your fifth year I will tell you how to avoid it, IF you promise me you will be responsible with the privilege. Oh, and also not tell your mother."

The twins laughed. "We promise that we will hide it as best as we can, be responsible, and we certainly won't tell our Mum." They said together, as they raised their hands in a mock oath.

"Very well." Salazar said with a chuckle. "You know that piece of paper your Head of House gives to you at the end of the year that reminds you not to use magic away from school during the summer? Do you know how your Head of House stands there in the common room to make sure everyone opens it up and reads it?"

"Yeah." They chorused.

"Next year don't open it and read it." He said. "It's simple really. When the folded piece of parchment is open and read, the charm sticks to you and the Ministry will be able to trace you. The charm stays on you and only breaks when you enter the gates of Hogwarts for your next school year, or you turn seventeen. I tell you this in confidence and ask that you not tell anyone. The truth about that piece of parchment is not very well known, otherwise we would have scores of underage witches and wizards using magic in places where they shouldn't."

"We promise." They said with sincere nods.

"Very well, now you have to prank me." Salazar said.

"What?" Fred asked in astonishment.

"You have to prank me so that I have a cover story on why you wanted to talk to me alone."

They burst out laughing, and by the time Salazar left the compartment, his black robes had been permanently changed into half red and half gold for Gryffindor, and his hair had been charmed to be half green and half silver for Slytherin. Apparently this was a combination of two Marauder pranks.

When they reached the platform at King's Cross, Salazar noticed that Severus was there, but he didn't have to wait long to find out why. As soon as Salazar stepped off the train, Severus yelled at him.

"POTTER! Get over here now!" He snapped.

Everyone else looked at him curiously and some even gave him sympathetic looks, but Salazar just shook his head, sighed, and headed over to him.

"Seeing as you think you can run around the Wizarding World on your own, the Headmaster has deemed it my _burden_ to make sure you are escorted beyond the barrier and delivered to your relatives."

Salazar raised an eyebrow and then rolled his eyes. "I understand Professor, but will you give me a moment to scribble a note to the Headmaster?"

"Make it quick." He said with a sneer.

Salazar scribbled a quick note, and then he and Severus walked through the barrier, where Severus watched Vernon grab 'Harry Potter' none to gently, and steer him towards the waiting car.

When Severus was sure that no one was watching, he unfolded the crumpled up piece of parchment that Salazar had given him.

_Obviously do not give this to Albus. Remember this address and destroy this note after you read it. The only way to get into my flat is to apparate or arrive by portkey._

_Salazar Slytherin lives at Number 93 Diagon Alley._

_See you tomorrow._

* * *

***A/N* Woohoo! 1st Year is over! Jumps up and down and does the happy dance! LOL! Please remember to leave a review for this chapter! You guys have been so good to me and i thank you so very much!**

**I will be posting an A/N chapter immediately after i post this chapter, so please, please, please read that A/N note chapter. It answers SO MANY of your concerns and questions about the direction of this story! It is _very_ important! Thank you so much to all of you! **


	18. End of the Year

**Chapter 18**

**End of the Year**

****This chapter officially marks the end of 1st year!****

* * *

This is an A/N note chapter, but please keep reading because it will address some of you guy's major concerns about the story.

As for the poll, many of you have voted and said in your reviews that you want to keep this as one long story, so I will do so. To those that voted otherwise, I apologize whole heartedly and I hope you all will still stick with me.

Now, on to other things. Many of you have asked me about the direction of the story, so I will answer all your questions. I have major, _major, **major**_ plot points set up for each year. However, after much deliberation, debating with myself, and banging my head on my desk (which causes my cats & dogs to look at me funny) I have decided to combine years two and three for various reasons. For example…

I cannot realistically see Salazar putting up with Lockheart for any long length of time.

I cannot see Salazar letting his basilisk run around and petrify a bunch of students.

And the **main reason **for combining the two years is…

Many of you are **very **angry at me for letting Sirius stay in Azkaban.

So that is why I have decided to combine years two and three into one.

The reason I have let Sirius stay in Azkaban is simple. Salazar is not a superhero. He is human, and not everything can work the way he wants it too. Yes, it is killing James and Salazar to know that an innocent man is locked up in that awful place, but you have to understand that in real life someone always draws the short straw, and in this case it happens to be Sirius.

**BUT **as I have said, I have a plan. I will now combine years two and three. I can do this and still keep my plot points for both years intact. It will take a little juggling around, but it is doable.

Now, because of this, the 'real' third year will be glossed over in a simple paragraph, and we will jump from second year straight into fourth year. I really do hope that is a good 'meet in the middle' scenario for everyone.

With all of that said, years four and five will be touched upon when we get to that point, but I will say this. The world is going to be very shaken up after 5th year, and years six and seven will also be a combination of events. _That_ has always been the plan, so not much is going to change there. I was going to keep that a surprise, but so many of you have expressed your concerns so I wanted to put those concerns to rest, so that is why I have told you. Hopefully I haven't given too much away though. :)

I really do hope that all of this is acceptable to everyone. I hate disappointing my readers and feel bad that some have unfav-ed and unfollowed this story. Those that are still with me, I think you so very much, and I hope that because of my decisions you will all stay with me.

Please remember to review so that I know how you feel about my decisions. I love you all, and I hope see you all in the next chapter when 2nd year begins! ❤❤❤

Preciousann


	19. Summer Chaos

***A/N* Please read! I have gotten several PMs asking about what happened with Quirrell and did Nicholas ever show up to Hogwarts. I have answered these PMs, but I'll address the issue here as well. I think some of you might have missed chapter 17. If Nicholas and Perenelle showing up at Hogwarts, learning what happened to Quirrell and Voldemort, and the trick to escaping the trace placed on underage wizards does not ring a bell, then please go back and read Ch. 17, or you will be lost. I think that because i posted both ch. 17 & 18 back to back caused the confusion, and i apologize. **

**With that said, this chapter is kind of fast fast paced, but i dont really see the need to drag the summer out. It has some fluffy fun in it, but it also sets us up for some of those plot points i was talking about. I hope you guys enjoy!**

**Now...on with the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 19**

**Summer Chaos**

When Salazar and the Dursleys arrived at Privet Drive, he was thankful he had the good common sense to send Hedwig on head from Hogwarts, because she also would have been locked up in the cupboard under the stairs. Nora was safely hidden under his robe sleeve though, so thankfully they hadn't spotted her.

Petunia told him to put his 'freakish stick' into his trunk as they locked it up, so Salazar graciously handed her the holly and phoenix wand. She also yelled at him for wearing 'freak clothes' and told him to put on something proper, but he told her that he didn't have any muggle clothes, so she threw some of Dudley's old ones at him and told him to change as soon as he got upstairs.

Vernon yelled at him because of his half green half silver hair, and threatened to cut it all off, but Salazar told Vernon that if he touched his hair the curse would transfer from him to Vernon and stay like that for a week.

That put an end to _that_ discussion.

After enduring the ranting about running away last year, his 'freakish ways', and all it entailed, Salazar was finally able to head up to Dudley's second bedroom and have a moment's peace. However, even after all he had endured at their hands over the years, he was not expecting the sight that met his eyes as he ascended the stairs.

Dudley's second bedroom door was covered with locks, and there also appeared to be a cat flap placed at the bottom of the door.

"That freak man with the long beard said that you can't do magic outside school, and that is the only reason we allowed you to come back here boy. Now get in there so that I can lock you up and keep you away from us normal people!" Vernon yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

Salazar had had every intention of leaving quietly during the night. He already knew he wasn't going to be there in the morning when the Dursleys woke up. He had decided _that _the moment Severus escorted him through the barrier.

During the time the Dursleys had been ranting at him, he had been secretly letting his magic flow around and test the wards that had been placed on the house and himself. He had planned to quietly dispel the tracking charm that had been placed on him. He had had every intention of quietly selecting one of Dudley's broken toys, and use it as portkey to by-pass the anti-disapparition jinxes, so that he could leave Privet Drive in peace.

The keyword had been…quietly.

Seeing those locks on the door, and hearing Vernon tell him what Albus had said made Salazar see red. These filthy muggles had had the _audacity_ to try and cage _him_ up like an animal! _They _were the ones who were freaks! _They_ were the ones who needed to be caged! Salazar wasn't going to stand for all this, and right then and there he decided he had had enough of the Dursleys, and decided to leave in a _not_ so quietly fashion.

"YOU DARE TO TRY AND LOCK **ME** UP LIKE SOME ANIMAL!" He bellowed, as he wheeled around and quickly pointed his yew and basilisk hide wand at Vernon. "You are the ones who are freaks! Child abusers! You starved me, beat me, locked me in a broom cupboard for ten years, and let your fat arse son bully me! Freaks! The lot of you! Freaks!" Salazar yelled.

The look on Salazar's face coupled with the wand in his hand made Vernon start shaking horribly. Petunia was standing behind her husband and Dudley was behind her, but both of them tried cowering behind Vernon. Salazar whipped back around to face the top of the stairs and a curtain of orange fire burst forth from the end of his wand and blocked the access to the top floor of the house. It wouldn't burn the house, but it would stay put until someone showed up to dispel it. Not to mention, he had just cut off access to the bathrooms, bedrooms, their clothes, and pretty much everything else.

Petunia screamed and Dudley ran into the living room, but Vernon had turned purple and started to open his mouth.

Mistake.

Salazar blasted apart the small table that sat beside the front door, and wandlessly shoved Vernon to the ground and held him there as he descended the stairs. Petunia scurried over to her husband, and whimpered as Salazar passed by her.

He walked over to the cupboard that had been his room for ten years and blasted the little door off its hinges. He retrieved his trunk and levitated it out, then he summoned Petunia's favorite vase from the living room, and dumped out the fresh bouquet of flowers onto the foyer floor. Then he silently turned the vase into a portkey that was keyed to his flat.

Deciding to be just a bit more vindictive, and perhaps a bit petty, two more curtains of orange flames burst forth from the end of his wand and cut off both inside accesses to the kitchen. Now if they wanted to get in there, they would have to walk out the front door, walk all the way around the house, and enter in through the back door.

It was ok though, Vernon and Dudley could use the exercise.

He turned back to the two cowering adults that were now huddled in a corner, and scowled at them.

"Listen to me you filthy muggle freaks! When Albus Dumbledore gets here, tell him I said to piss off!" He shouted.

Petunia whimpered again and nervously nodded her head as Salazar glared at her. He quickly dispelled the tracking charm, took hold of his trunk in one hand and held the vase in the other, then he headed out the front door.

He looked around quickly to make sure no one was watching, and then he said, "Activate."

And then he was gone.

* * *

It wasn't until the next evening that Severus finally arrived at Salazar's flat. When he landed, he heard an explosion, followed closely by a loud yelp, and hurried to investigate. What he found was Salazar standing on top of a small stool, trying to vanish the mess he had just created.

"Watch where you step! This stuff will eat through your shoes!" Salazar exclaimed, as he looked around for any of the potion he had missed. When he was sure he had gotten it all, he stepped off the stool and grinned at Severus. "Ah, the joys of creating a potion."

Severus chuckled knowingly. "Forgive me for being late, but your disappearing act caused Albus to drag me all over the city of London. We also searched all of Diagon Alley, Little Whinging, and everywhere in between."

"Well bugger, he got to the Dursleys quicker than I had hoped. I was hoping they would be trapped like that for at least a day or two."

"He noticed that the tracking charm wasn't activated this morning. He floo called me, and when we arrived at the Dursleys we saw the locks, cat flap, and the bars on the window. Albus wasn't very happy with them."

"There were bars on the window?" Salazar asked, somewhat shocked, and Severus nodded. "Well, I didn't see that. I was going to leave quietly, until I saw the locks and cat flap, then I lost my temper."

"So we noticed." Severus said with a chuckle. "Petunia accused you of thievery and she also said you told her to tell Albus to 'piss off'. He didn't like that a bit. He is also trying to figure out how you managed to do underage magic without tipping off the Improper Use of Magic Office."

"Well I'm not about to tell him, but yes, I stole Petunia's favorite vase and turned it into a portkey." Salazar answered offhandedly, just as another cauldron in the potions lab exploded.

This one burst into black flames, melted the cauldron, and started oozing onto the floor in a big goopy glob. Salazar let out another yelp, and vanished that mess too.

"Scratch that recipe off the list." He muttered, as the grabbed the piece of parchment that was sitting beside the cauldron. He placed it on top of a small stack of other disregarded pieces of parchment, and checked on a third cauldron that was bubbling away in one of the corners.

"What are you trying to create?" Severus asked as he looked over the stack.

"I'm trying to create a potion that is the equivalent of phoenix tears. I'm using unicorn blood as the base, but I think I need to add more fairy wings, and possibly add another 'stirring counter clockwise' step."

"Unicorn blood?" Severus asked in shock.

"Oh yes. I collected it in the forest as we were tromping back towards the castle during our 'detention' last year."

"But won't the drinker of this potion have a cursed life?"

Salazar shook his head. "No, because they did not slay it. It was slayed by another. Voldemort to be exact. I've been studying about unicorns actually. They will, from time to time, allow a person to collect blood from them. Doing it that way will not curse the drinker, nor will doing it this way." He said as he motioned towards the large vile of blood.

Severus's eye lit up at the prospect. "Do you want some help?" He asked hopefully.

"Of course." Salazar answered with a smile.

As they worked, they chatted about a few things. Severus mentioned that Hagrid was upset because Fluffy hadn't woke up yet. Salazar admitted that he had completely forgotten about the Cerberus, and said that he would go to Hogwarts in a few days to wake it up. He also told Severus that in a few weeks he would be leaving to go visit the Potters. Harry had been hoping that Salazar would come for his birthday party, so he had told Harry that he would be there.

They talked about Severus's Parseltongue lessons, which pleased Nora, and they decided to start again once Salazar got back from Brazil. It was agreed upon that Severus would come over every afternoon and stay until after dinner. Salazar said that if Severus worked hard, he would know it fluently by the end of summer.

But before _all _of that happened though, Salazar just wanted to rest for a week or two. He was an old man after all, and it had been a very tiring year.

* * *

It was a week later, and Albus was staring at a map of Surrey when all of a sudden, all the little silver instruments in his office began to explode. A long deep sigh escaped his lips as he turned around to gaze at the smoke now emanating from them.

The wards at Privet Drive had just fallen, and now there was no use in trying to sway Harry to ever return there.

_If only the boy had just listened!_ He thought angrily. _It would have only been for two months! Surly the boy could have handled that!_

He sighed again and turned back to his map. He still needed to find Harry though. The boy was only twelve years old, or at least he would be in a week or so, but still, he was young and wondering around somewhere without anyone to watch over him.

Albus needed to change that.

He knew his best chance at finding someone to watch over Harry wasn't going to be easy. The Grangers couldn't do it because they were muggles and where therefore not an option. The Zabinis were a neutral family, but they were still Slytherins and Albus didn't want them to influence Harry in any negative way.

The Weasleys though, seemed to be the best option. Harry was friends with Fred and George, and he also seemed to be somewhat friendly with Percy. They were a nice, light family, and they could be a good influence on the boy.

Albus sighed again.

_Now all I have to do is talk to Molly._ He thought with a bit of trepidation.

* * *

_"Well, Pigeon is just going to have to stay here then." _Nora said with a huff as he glared at Salazar.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was busy packing for his trip to Brazil, but Nora was…to be honest...being a downright pain in the bum.

You see, contrary to popular belief not everything in the wizarding world can be shrunk and placed in a pocket. Most items that have special charms on them can't be shrunk because it would destroy those special charms, and replacing the charms wasn't as simple as recasting them. Most special charms were family secrets that had been created specifically for the wizarding family's occupation, and no one wanted to part with family magic. Not only that, but most shop keepers charged an arm and a leg to recast the special charms if they had been taken off of an object, so they either had to be hand carried, or packed.

Hedwig's perch that Salazar had gotten her for Christmas was made of gold and had a self-cleaning and a self-refilling water charm on it. Nora's new favorite rock to lay on was very large and had a permanent charm that mimicked the sun's heat and light. Because of this, neither of these items could be shrunk, and the rock was to big to fit in the trunk, so for the last thirty minutes Salazar had been arguing with Nora to leave her rock behind.

Nothing he had said so far seemed to be working.

_"Nora, I have already told you that I cannot portkey safely by carrying so many bulky items. I cannot carry you, Hedwig, my trunk, your rock, and the perch all at the same time. I just don't have that many hands."_

_"So leave Pigeon and the perch here, or grow another hand." _She replied, and Hedwig hooted and ruffled her feathers in protest.

Salazar sighed with exasperation. _I swear, it's like having children again._ He thought as he shook his head. _"My dear, you will not need your rock in Brazil. It is very warm there this time of year, and there will be plenty of large rocks to lay on, and real sunshine to lay in."_

Nora seemed to study him closely as if she thought he was playing a trick on her, but then she looked at Hedwig, who had just flown to her bowl and grabbed a dead mouse which she had caught that morning. Hedwig flew back to the bed and gently placed it beside Nora, who finally sighed.

_"Very well, but you better be right about the real sunshine, or I will bite you." _She warned.

Salazar grinned in triumph, and Hedwig hooted happily as she rubbed the top of her head against Nora's.

He placed the rock in a corner, and spent the next hour packing everything up. Once they were ready to leave, he gathered up all that they were taking as best he could, and held Hedwig tightly against himself. Using a cheap necklace as a portkey, they headed off for Rio.

Unfortunately for Salazar, when they arrived…it was raining.

* * *

"I will not have that boy in my house!" Molly exclaimed. "He attacked Ron with giant snakes, and his pet snake actually _bit_ Ron. He taught Fred and George dark magic, and also, he taught them Parseltongue _without_ my consent! That Harry Potter is a rotten boy Albus! He's dark, and I won't have him around my children! I won't!" She said firmly.

"But Molly, he is just twelve years old. He needs guidance, and you are the best person I can of to give it to him." Albus pleaded, but then he sighed heavily. "To my great shame, the people I placed him with after that night in Godric's Hollow, abused him. They are muggles who hate magic, but they were the only family he had. I thought that because they were family that they would treat him well, but they did not. They locked him in a broom cupboard for ten years, and starved, beat, and bullied him. Frankly, it is because of that, that Harry has developed the traits which made the hat place him in Slytherin. He's not dark Molly, he just needs guidance, care, and most of all…love."

Molly's eyes grew wide and she gasped. "The boy was abused?"

"Yes, and he has never been shown an ounce of love or care."

"Oh my…oh my. That poor child." She said quietly, as she slowly slid down in her seat at the Burrow's kitchen table.

Albus grinned internally. He was _almost_ there. The only thing he needed to do was play on her heartstrings just a little more, and then he'd have what he wanted.

However, Molly stiffened slightly and looked at him. "But what about the Parseltongue. He taught it to Fred and George."

"He taught Fred and George only how to understand it, not to speak it. To speak Parseltongue is a magical gift and it cannot be taught. Molly, _I_ know how to understand Parseltongue. Does that make me dark?" He asked, and she shook her head vigorously.

"But he can still speak it." She said pointedly.

"That is true, but I'll tell you my thoughts on that. On that night in Godric's Hollow, I believe that Voldemort accidently gave that gift to Harry when the curse rebounded. Now, that _does not_ mean that he is Voldemort reborn or anything like that. Parseltongue is a very unique gift, and it so happens that here in Britain, we look down upon it because we have had very evil wizards that could speak it. I learned Parseltongue from a very fine, very light family in India. Over there, many can speak it, and they are no more evil than you. Here Molly, look at this picture. I took this on Christmas Day."

He pulled out a magical photograph from his pocket that showed 'Harry' sitting at the table during the Christmas dinner feast. He had on his reindeer antler hat, and Nora was proudly showing off her Father Christmas costume. 'Harry' was in the midst of laughing loudly, and sitting right beside him, Fred and George were ginning and teasing Nora.

"What is he wearing?" She asked with a small chuckle.

Albus laughed. "Molly, that is a muggle hat with fake reindeer antlers attached to it and Nora is wearing a Father Christmas costume. A _muggle-born_ _Gryffindor_ sent that to him as a Christmas gift. Her name is Hermione Granger, and she is one of Harry's closest friends. A _muggle-born_ Molly. That right there should tell you a lot. Most of his close friends are Gryffindors. Aside from Fred, George, and Hermione, Neville Longbottom is a friend, and Harry even seems to be somewhat friendly with Percy, so you see, he's not evil if he has friends like that."

Molly stared at the photo and a small smile appeared on her face. "Oh, he looks so happy." She whispered, as she continued to gaze at it.

"He was Molly. All that Harry needs is care, and lots, and lots of love." He said in a gentle, grandfatherly tone.

She looked up at Albus with a small smile on her face and gently nodded her head. "All right Albus. We can take him in. He may have to squeeze in with Fred and George, or we can place him with Percy, seeing as he and Ron don't get along that well, but we can manage."

_Success!_ Albus thought triumphantly. "Thank you so much Molly. I do want to warn you, seeing how you two…clashed…with each other last year, he may not warm up to you right away. You'll just need to give him time. However, we need to find him first."

"I understand." She said softly, as she returned the photo to Albus. "I'll talk to Arthur when he gets home from work, and we will sit down and talk to the children about it."

"Very well. Thank you again." Albus said kindly, and Molly saw him to the door.

The children didn't need to be told though. Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, and even Percy, who was trying to pretend that he wasn't interested in the conversation, had heard every word as they all huddled on the stairs.

Fred and George had listened to it all with narrowed eyes. They knew that the Headmaster had just manipulated their mother into doing what he wanted her to do, and they were not happy about it. Although, they had grinned at each other when Albus said that they needed to find 'Harry' first. They knew that 'Harry' wasn't going to be found, unless 'Harry' wanted to be, but just the thought of Salazar possibly coming to stay with them was a wicked one. Oh the fun they could have and the mischief they could get into! They just hoped he would agree to stay with them, if they found him that is.

Ron, on the other hand, was fuming. He couldn't understand why his mother would all of a sudden what a slimy Slytherin in their house. Potter had attacked him for crying out loud! He didn't understand why Harry Bloody Potter was so special. He was an evil slimy git, and Ron vowed to make him pay for it!

Percy was secretly delighted though. He was hoping that Harry would stay in his room because he was very bright for an almost second year, and Percy had enjoyed the in depth talks about politics and magical theory that they shared last year. Harry didn't treat him the way other people did. Harry didn't pick on him because he took his school work seriously. He liked that about Harry, and so, he hoped that Harry was all right and that the adults would be able to find him soon, so that he could come and stay.

Ginny held an altogether different view about the whole thing. The-Boy-Who-Lived was coming to stay in _her_ home! She was going to be able to see him every day, and possibly…hopefully…maybe…he _might _just kiss her on the cheek. She giggled slightly at the prospect and her eyes held a joyful hope as she scurried up the stairs and ran into her bedroom. She was going to have to find her best dress and wear it on the day she would meet him. After all, Mum always said that first impressions are the most important, and Ginny wanted to make a good one.

_But _they had to find him first.

* * *

"You made it!," was the happy cry that greeted Salazar as he landed in the dining room of his villa two weeks ago.

Those two weeks had been a whirlwind of fun though. He spent most of it hanging out with the Potters, swimming and going on site-seeing trips, but he also managed to find time to look over his finances, business investments, and stocks in both the muggle and wizarding worlds. Thankfully, all was going well on that front.

Today had been nothing short of chaotic though. There had been fifteen twelve year olds running round the villa all day because it was Harry's birthday. He was introduced to Harry's school friends as 'Cliff Danielson', a local friend who was homeschooled, and spent the entire day forgetting that he was a thousand years old, and embraced being a twelve year old for a few short hours. Needless to say, he was now ready for bed, and perhaps a stiff drink.

Nora had a blast too and the kids loved her. However, she kept threatening to bite one boy who kept pulling on her tail, but they managed to avoid a crises by placing a touch-me-not charm on her.

Tomorrow he was leaving, and because of that, he, Lily, and James were having a hard time getting Harry (who was still wound up from all the cake and sweets) to go to bed.

"But you haven't told me about all the phoenixes yet!" Harry protested, as Salazar said good night when Lily began to tuck him into bed.

"There isn't much to tell really. There was a large colony of phoenixes that resided in the mountains that surround Hogwarts. It was neat to watch them though. At night you could look out over the mountains and see brief flashes of flames as they came and went, and during they day they would fly over the grounds and sing for us. It was a beautiful sight."

"Are they still there?" Harry asked with wide, interested eyes.

Salazar shook his head sadly. "No, they are not. Over time they have left. It has been a thousand years you know."

"Well what about the dragon?"

"Aren't you too old for bedtime stories?" Salazar asked with a chuckle.

"Only if they are baby stories, but your stories are wicked and full of adventure."

The adults laughed, but Salazar sighed. "Very well. Yes, the dragon still guards Hogwarts to this day, but he is sleeping, just as you should be."

"What does he look like?" Harry asked as he grinned at Salazar, who looked at him sternly, but then he smiled mischievously at Harry.

"He is solid black, with large shiny black claws." Salazar said, lowering his voice as he crept closer to Harry's bed. "His teeth are sharp and they drip poisonous venom. He breathes hot fire, and when he wakes up…he eats little boys who won't go to sleep!" He suddenly cried, as he tickled Harry's sides.

Harry laughed loudly and yelped in mock fear as he pulled the covers over his head, but then he grinned and lowered the covers to just beneath his chin.

"I guess that's a hint huh?" He asked with a giggle.

"Yes." All three adults replied together.

"All right. I'll go to sleep now." He said with a yawn.

They all said goodnight, and the adults headed back towards the study. Salazar, James, and Lily all poured themselves a stiff brandy, but Lily suddenly cocked her head to one side and looked at Salazar curiously.

"Salazar, isn't Hogwarts's motto, 'Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon'?" She asked.

Salazar chuckled and took a sip of his drink. "Yes it is Lily, and for good reason."

* * *

When Salazar arrived back to his flat in Diagon Alley, he immediately sent Hedwig off with two letters. One for Severus confirming that he was back in London and was ready to resume his Parseltongue lessons. The other was for Fred and George also letting them know he was back.

He was surprised to get a return letter from them explaining everything that had happened with Dumbledore and their Mum. Salazar was surprised by Molly's sudden change of heart towards him, but wrote back to the twins saying that he wasn't going to be able to make it to the Burrow this summer due to prior commitments. However, he did say that he would greet them on the platform on September 1st to make amends with their mother, and possibly make arrangements for next summer. Fred and George were disappointed, but they understood.

It was during one of Severus's Parseltongue lessons that the Hogwarts letter arrived, but when Salazar opened it to scan its contents, he looked up at the Potions Master in confusion.

"Gadding with Ghouls, Year with the Yeti, Break with a Banshee? What is this rubbish for Defense? It sounds like a bunch of storybooks."

Severus rolled his eyes and shook his head. "That's because they are. Albus's new Defense Professor is Gilderoy Lockheart."

"I'm not familiar with him. Who is he?" Salazar asked with mild curiosity.

"Oh, I keep forgetting that you have been out of the loop for ten years. Well, that man is a fraud. He is a menace, and only cares about himself, his celebrity status, and his hair. Believe me, this year will not be a picnic with him around." Severus answered with a sneer.

"Are you serious?" Salazar asked, looking at him skeptically.

"I am." He said sincerely.

"Then why did Albus hire him?"

Severus sighed and shook his head. "He was the only applicant. Albus also knows he is a fraud, and is hoping to expose him as one. You see sir, many believe that the defense position is cursed. Every year for the last forty years Hogwarts has had a different Defense Professor. Albus said that one day the Dark Lord came to him, before he started the first war, and asked him for the job because the previous Professor had just retired. Albus, knowing who he was and what he had been doing, told him no. Albus believes that was when the position was cursed because no one has stayed more than a year since."

Salazar looked at the young man thoughtfully. "Perhaps I should look into this curse. It's obviously a dark one, so maybe I know of it and can remove it. I'll see what I can do about it when we return for the year. As for this Lockheart fellow, I'll reserve judgment until I meet him."

Severus laughed and shook his head. "I already know you won't like him." He said. "And you will see why."

Salazar just sighed and nodded.

* * *

In a small house located in a forest somewhere in Scotland, a man was sitting at his dinner table eating. He had old issues of _The Daily Prophet_ and a book that gave details about certain family trees spread out before him.

This man had a small obscure hunch and had been searching to see if he was correct, but he almost choked on his stew when he found more than he had bargained for. He stared at the family line of a certain wizard, and shuffled back through the papers and reread the 'details' of what happened that night in Godric's Hollow.

The man's very soul began to fill with emotion, and several tears ran down his cheeks. He sighed and pushed his stew away as he glanced from the book back to the papers.

"Oh Salazar," he whispered to himself. "Is this the _real _reason why you have gone through so much trouble?"

* * *

**All right you guys! I hoped you enjoyed the summer fun! Please remember to leave a review, and to all of you who are keeping track of this story, I thank you so very much! You guys are awesome! **


	20. Nothing but Aggravation

**Chapter 20**

**Nothing but Aggravation **

_Merlin, _

_It has taken me a long while and I know this is cutting it close to the deadline you requested, but I have finally finished the testing phase and the stone you requested is complete. Forgive me for saying this about my own work, but it is perhaps a true work of art. It will not fail, and it has all the properties you requested. The other stone you requested is not finished yet, but hopefully I can finish it by the end of the year. If I can be of further assistance, please let me know._

_You have my deepest respect, and I thank you for the honor and privilege of working on these two projects with you._

_Your friend,_

_Nicholas Flamel_

Merlin sighed with relief and opened the small box that had accompanied the letter. He pulled out a very small yellow stone that was about the size of a green pea, and held the stone up to inspect it, then he smiled.

"Salazar," He said to himself as he continued to gaze at it. "I know that I don't get involved with the wizarding world anymore because I don't like the direction it has gone, but sometimes it never hurts to help out a friend, and you my good man, will need more help than you realize before all of this is over. There is a reason why I ask for an Unbreakable Vow from all my friends to not speak of me still being alive, and I can guarantee that you are in for a pleasant shock."

Merlin chuckled quietly and placed the stone back in the box, then he turned to a bird sitting on a perch to his right. "Please see that this gets to the right person."

The bird nodded knowingly, and flew out the window.

* * *

The platform at King's Cross wasn't very crowded when Salazar arrived so he was able to find an empty compartment and get his trunk situated with no problems. He spelled the doors shut so that no one else would take it, then he headed back onto the platform.

He stood by the barrier and waited for the children to arrive. He greeted Hermione and met her parents, and shortly after, he met Neville and his Gram, and then Blaise and his Mum. However, it was almost right at eleven and the train was about to depart when the Weasleys came hurrying through the barrier.

"Ah! The wayward orphan returns! Harrykins my old chap, how are you this fine summer day!" Fred exclaimed, bowing low as he and George caught sight of him.

"Hello Fred, George." Salazar said with a chuckle. "How are you?"

"Very well my good man!" George said, also bowing.

Salazar glared at them. "If you two don't stop talking like that…"

_"I'll bite you!" _Nora cried suddenly, as she poked her head out of Salazar's robe sleeve. _"Hello Minions."_

The twins grinned at her, and George held out his hand. Nora slithered out of the robe sleeve and curled around George's arm.

"Harrykins, Percy here has some news that he has been wanting to brag about since he got his Hogwarts's letter this summer. Here Percy, you tell him." Fred laughed as he steered Salazar over to his red faced brother.

Percy smiled and shuffled his feet slightly, but then looked up at Salazar and grinned. "I got twelve O. !" He happily cried out.

Salazar's face lit up in honest delight. "Percy that is wonderful! Congratulations! With those results you can pretty much get any job at the Ministry you want. I really am happy for you!"

Percy beamed, but blushed an even deeper shade of red. "Thanks Harry. You always encouraged me to study, so I wanted to tell you."

"Well, as I said, that is wonderful and I am very happy for you."

"Thanks." Percy said, but then he looked over Salazar's shoulder and smiled. "I have to go, but I'll see you at school. There is someone waiting for me."

"All right. I'll see you later." Salazar said with a chuckle as Percy hurried off. Then he turned to Fred and George, who were standing next to Molly. Salazar stiffened slightly, but he managed a small smile. "Mrs. Weasley." He said with a polite nod.

"Harry, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for how I acted last year. I realize that I was very much in the wrong, and I hope you will forgive me. Fred and George told me that they got in contact with you a few days ago, and that they told you all about what happened."

"Yes they did." Salazar said with a nod. "I'm willing to put the past behind us and start over."

"Very good." She said with a relived sigh. "I do want to invite you for Christmas if you can come, and also, I want to let you know you are welcome to stay with us next summer if Dumbledore hasn't made other arrangements."

Salazar internally scowled at the mention of Albus, but he didn't let it show on his face. Instead he smiled. "Thank you very much. I'd like that."

"You're welcome dear." She said, just as the train's whistle blew. "Oh dear! Ginny, let's get you on the train!" She exclaimed.

Salazar suddenly noticed a girl who had been hiding behind her mother the whole time. The girl was staring at him with wide brown eyes, but he smiled politely at her and nodded.

"Hello." He said softly.

She let out a squeal, but then took off running towards the train. Salazar looked at Fred and George curiously, but they rolled their eyes.

"Our sister Ginny." George said, as he gave Nora back to Salazar. "We will explain later."

Salazar laughed, and they boarded the train just as the final whistle blew. Fred and George went off to find their friends, but Salazar was able to quickly find Hermione, Blaise, and Neville. He showed them where the reserved compartment was, and they all settled in as the train began to pull away from the platform.

Salazar was hoping for a quiet ride, but alas, that was not the case. Ron came in yelling about how he was trying to hurt his family and his Mum. Ron also was yelling about how Salazar would never be part of his family no matter how hard he tried, and he didn't care if the muggles Salazar lived with killed him. Ron warned Salazar that he better watch his back as well.

Salazar took it all in stride, but stared at the red head with an amused expression. This only made Ron angrier, and so he started yelling again, until Salazar placed a silencing charm on him. After Ron realized that he couldn't be heard anymore he finally stomped off, but not before sending a rude gesture at Salazar, who just laughed.

He thought no more could happen, but he was wrong. Draco came in a short while after that and started taunting not only him, but Hermione, Blaise, and Neville as well. Salazar was able to get rid of him easily though. He took a page out of the Marauder's book, and colored Draco's hair half gold and half red for Gryffindor. Draco let out a horrified yell and demanded he reverse the spell, but Salazar told him he was stuck like that for a week. After that, Draco stomped off just like Ron had, and Salazar could only laugh at their similarities.

When they arrived in Hogsmeade, they took the carriages up to the castle. Salazar was astonished to find out that they had a herd of thestrals to pull the carriages though. He mentioned them, but everyone thought he was crazy. Hermione insisted that nothing was there, but Salazar challenged her to go look up thestrals in the library before she dismissed their existence completely, and Hermione agreed that she would.

When they entered the great hall, Salazar let out a small sigh of satisfaction. He had always loved this time of the year, even when he was a Professor. The excitement of the soon to happen sorting and the nervousness of the upcoming classes always made the castle seem more alive.

For tonight he had to sit near the others in his house instead of his usual place at the very end, but Blaise sat right beside him as a 'buffer' from the rest of his house mates. Salazar didn't know why some were still afraid of him. He thought he had proved himself last year, but he realized that wasn't the case. The ones who didn't like him however, knew enough to keep their distance because of the clashes he and Draco had had last year, but people were funny and Salazar knew he had to watch his back regardless.

Nora was delighted to be back at Hogwarts and she sat coiled up on the table in front of Salazar's plate like always, and her, Blaise, and Salazar began a conversation about the upcoming sorting and placed bets on how many new house members they would gain this year. However, all conversation stopped when Minerva led the first years in.

Salazar had always loved to watch the sorting, and this year was no different. He was pleased by the number of students that Slytherin gained. There were four boys and three girls, but two of the girls were twins, and Salazar recognized their last name. Carrow.

_More children of Death Eaters._ He thought with a sigh.

The last person to be sorted was a boy. Unlike the other new students who tried _not _to sit near him because of Nora, this boy plopped down right across from Salazar and grinned broadly at him. He had very pale skin, dark red hair, and dark green eyes.

"Hi!" The boy said cheerfully, after Albus made his announcements and the feast began. "You're Harry Potter aren't you?"

"Yes I am." Salazar answered with a polite nod. "And you're Gordy...forgive me, what is your last name again?"

"Roffin." The boy replied, as he piled food onto his plate. "Gordy Cigrd Roffin, but I _hate_ my middle name. I think my parents either misspelled it, or they had had too much to drink when they named me. I don't even think it's a word to be honest."

Salazar chuckled. "I don't think so either. So, are you pleased to be in Slytherin?"

"Oh, yes. For the longest time I've wondered what it would be like in Slytherin. I think I'll like it just fine though." Gordy said with a giant smile. "I'm half-blooded by the way, but both of my parents are magical."

_"Speaker, is this boy our friend too? If so, I think I need a name for him."_

Salazar laughed. _"I don't know my dear."_

Gordy stared at him and Nora in awe. "Wow, you're a Parselmouth! That is so wicked! You're not evil though, are you?" He asked with a sudden bit of apprehension.

Salazar chuckled and shook his head. "No, I'm not evil, but people seem to think I am just because I can talk to snakes. This is Nora." He said, motioning towards her.

"Oh, well that's good to know." Gordy said with a relieved smile. "Can I pet her? Will she bite me?"

_"It depends." _Nora said eyeing him closely, but then she looked at Salazar. _"Jolly."_

Salazar and Blaise looked at her in confusion. "What?" Blaise asked. "Did I understand right? She said 'Jolly'."

Salazar nodded, but Nora sighed. _"His name. Jolly."_

Blaise started laughing. "Oh, I get it." He said, then he looked at a very confused looking Gordy. "She just named you 'Jolly'. I'm Blaise Zabini by the way. Nora calls me Zabby though."

"Nora calls everyone she's come into contact with a different name. For example, Professor Snape, our head of House is 'Bat', and Professor McGonagall is 'Kitty', though you'll find out why she calls them that on your first day of class." Salazar said with a laugh.

Gordy grinned and laughed. "I like it. Thank you Nora."

_"You're welcome, and I suppose you can pet me. Though I must warn you, I am the deadliest snake in the world, and I will bite you if I see fit."_

"She says you're welcome, and that you can pet her." Salazar said with a laugh, and repeated the rest of what Nora said.

Gordy laughed, and began petting her. Nora said that he gave good pettings like 'Bushy' did, and decided she liked the boy. Salazar though, was a little thrown off by Gordy, but then again, he just supposed Gordy was excited to finally be at Hogwarts, and at least Blaise wasn't the only Slytherin not afraid of him anymore.

* * *

The feast finally ended, and they headed to the common room. Salazar raised an eyebrow when Gordy started laughing loudly and pointing at nearly everything in there, but he had been talking to another first year boy by the name of Robert at the time.

The second year dorm was the same dorm room they had last year, and Salazar and Blaise immediately reclaimed the same beds. Salazar also wasted no time placing the blood ward back up. He had taken it down at the end of last year, because he didn't trust Albus not to tamper with it. With that done, Salazar changed into his night clothes. It had been a long day and he was happily prepared to welcome sleep.

It was not to be though. As soon as he started to drift off, Salazar felt a sudden light weight at the end of his bed. Nora hissed loudly in surprise, and Salazar reached for his wand and lit the tip.

At the end of his bed was an elf with graying skin and large green eyes that looked like tennis balls.

"Please don't hurt Dobby sir." The elf said, as he nervously twisted his hands together. "Dobby had to make the others go to sleep because Dobby has to warn Mr. Harry Salazar Potter Slytherin sir."

Salazar's eyes widened in alarm. "How do you know who I am?"

Dobby lowered his head sadly. "Before Dobby was forced to bond with his current family, Dobby was friends with Mitzy and Fripsy. Dobby knows that Mr. Harry Salazar Potter Slytherin sir helped Dobby's friends, and Dobby wants to help Mr. Harry Salazar Potter Slytherin in return."

"Who are your masters?" Salazar asked cautiously.

Dobby suddenly started to whimper and pull on his ears. Salazar knew right away that the elf had been ordered not to ever reveal that information to anyone, but suddenly Dobby stopped and smiled.

"Dobby was summoned by young Master tonight. He told Dobby to fix his hair. Dobby had no choice, and had to get rid of the red and gold."

It took Salazar a moment, but then he understood. Dobby was owned by the Malfoys, and if they were still treating their elves like crap, it was no wonder why this elf was standing on his bed talking to him.

"Aren't loopholes a wonderful thing?" Salazar said, as he smiled knowingly at the elf.

Dobby grinned at him. "Yes sir! Dobby likes and uses loopholes a lot. Masters don't pay attention to what they say, they just order Dobby to do things. Dobby spends lots of time looking for loopholes."

Salazar chuckled. "All right, can you tell me what you need to warn me about?"

"Dobby cannot say details sir, and there is a lot he doesn't know, but he can say that there is a plot to make terrible things happen at Hogwarts sir. Dobby knows you can help stop them. Dobby doesn't want anyone to get hurt."

"Can you tell me who is plotting them?" Salazar asked, but Dobby shook his head no, and began tugging on his ears again. "All right, don't hurt yourself." He said quickly, and then he thought for a moment. "Can you tell me if it is your Master's idea, or if it is your Master's Master's idea?" He said, and pointed to his left forearm.

Dobby pointed to Salazar's left forearm and shook his head no.

"Does the plot, in any way, involve the one who made a tattoo?"

Dobby once again tugged on his ears, and whimpered.

"Ok, thank you Dobby. Don't worry about it." Salazar said. "Can you tell me anything else?"

Dobby looked at the ceiling in thought, but then he smiled. "Only that history is to repeat itself."

"What history and how long ago?"

Dobby shook his head. "Dobby cannot say what history sir, and Dobby does not know how long ago. Dobby is sorry Mr. Harry Salazar Potter Slytherin. Dobby wishes he could say more!"

Dobby suddenly began to cry because he couldn't help with anything else, but Salazar was able to quiet him.

"It's all right Dobby. I'll figure it out, and please just call me Harry or Harry Potter. Not the other name, just in case."

Dobby nodded and wiped his tears away. "Yes sir, Mr. Harry Potter sir, and Dobby promises to never reveal your secret."

"All right. You better go before you are found missing. Let me know if you can tell me anything more."

"Yes sir, Mr. Harry Potter sir! Dobby will do that!" He said happily, and then he apparated away.

Salazar laid back down and began to think. If Lucius was plotting something then Severus might know about, but the one thing Salazar didn't understand was, if Lucius thought that Salazar was Voldemort, then what was Lucius trying to do? Dobby's lack of answering and tugging on his ears told Salazar that it had _something_ to with Voldemort, but what was it?

Salazar didn't know, but he hoped Severus might.

* * *

It was just after sunrise when Salazar got up the next day. He knew no one else would be up yet, and he was hoping to catch Severus to tell him all that happened with Dobby and ask him some questions. He knew Severus would have told him something by now if he knew exactly what was going on, but perhaps Lucius had said something offhand to the young man and maybe he didn't see it for what it was. Salazar was hoping that was the case, and if so, hopefully he could put a few more clues together.

He was just coming down the stairs and was exiting the door that led to the common room when a bright flash of white light caught him off guard. Salazar was momentarily blinded, and he stumbled backward and landed hard on the stairs he had just stepped off of. Then he heard someone gasp loudly, then start laughing.

"Harry! I'm so sorry!" A voice cried, as Salazar felt someone help him to his feet. "Are you ok?"

"Y-Yes, I think so. Gordy?" Salazar asked, as he vision started to clear up somewhat.

"Yeah, it's me. I'm so sorry."

"What are you doing?"

"Well, I couldn't sleep so I got up and started exploring. Then I went into the great hall, and I saw this other kid. His name is Colin Creevey and he is a Gryffindor muggle born, but I don't care about blood status. Anyway, he was taking pictures with this thing, so I asked him about it. He told me that it was a camera and showed me how to work it. He wanted to take a bunch of pictures of different things and people. I told him that I'd take pictures of our common room, so here I am. He also asked me if I had met you yet, and I told him I had. He was real excited and said that he had read all about you. I have too by the way, and anyway, he asked if I could get a picture of you, so I told him I'd try, but I didn't mean to take one of you just now though. I was trying to get that snake statue."

Salazar blinked owlishly at the boy. It was too early in the morning for all this.

_"Speaker? Are you all right? You have gone unusually quiet." _Nora asked, poking her head out of his sleeve.

Salazar shook his head to clear it. _"Yes my dear, I'm all right."_

"Oh hey! Nora is here! Hey, can I get a picture of both of you standing beside that statue? I think Colin will like that!" Gordy exclaimed.

_"Speaker, I want my picture taken."_ She said, as she slithered out the sleeve and up his arm. _"Make sure you hold me up so it can be a good one. I just shed my skin so my scales are a nice shiny black."_

Salazar sighed and rubbed his eyes. "All right."

"I'll take two if it's ok. One for me and one for Colin. It would be neat to have a photo of Harry Potter!" Gordy said, as Salazar went to stand beside the statue.

_"Tell him to take three. I want one, so that I can admire my scales."_ Nora said, turning to look at Salazar, who had sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Nora asks that you take three so she can have one." He said.

He didn't have time for this, he needed to talk to Severus, but he also didn't want to be rude to the boy. Even if Gordy was being a bit…forward.

Gordy grinned and agreed, then he snapped off the pictures. Salazar then excused himself, but Gordy decided to follow him out of the common room.

"Are you going to breakfast? Is it going to start soon? I'm hungry. Oh hey, I heard a rumor that there are shortcuts. Do you know any?"

Salazar glared at the boy that was quickly trying his patience, but he sighed and nodded. "Yes, if you go to the picture of Salazar Slytherin and say 'mortal dread' it will open. The shortcut leads right into the entrance hall."

"Oh wow really!? Wicked!" Gordy exclaimed, but then he blushed. "Will you come with me? It's a bit scary down here."

Salazar sighed. "Very well."

Maybe when he got Gordy back to the great hall, Salazar could finally find Severus.

* * *

Colin Creevey turned out to be Gordy's Gryffindor twin. They weren't related by any means, but both boys were the same personality wise.

Nora absolutely loved both of them and the attention she got from them. She named Colin 'Hyper' and Colin took a bunch of pictures of just her because 'she is just so wicked'. Nora was posing every which way, and of course, talking to them the whole time, which meant that Salazar had to translate.

By the time the boys had finished asking Salazar every single question they could think of, _and _taking the pictures of Nora, the great hall was already filling with students. Salazar sighed because now he would have to wait to talk to Severus. He excused himself from the Gryffindor table where the three of them had been sitting, but of course, Gordy followed him back to the Slytherin table.

Breakfast was semi-quiet, but only because everyone was eating. Hermione and Neville ate with Blaise and Salazar, but when that happened, Colin decided to come over and eat with Gordy. The rest of Slytherin house kept shooting glares at the Gryffindors, and Salazar could hear grumblings about 'trash', 'mudbloods', and 'blood-traitors'.

It all stopped when Severus swooped down from the head table to pass out schedules. When he got to Salazar, Severus sneered at him and thrust his schedule in his face.

"Potter, it seems that once again your unwillingness to do as you're told has caused the Headmaster to request your presence. As I recall, this time last year you were also called to his office. Keep it up and we could call it a tradition." He spat, then he sneered at everyone sitting around him. "Your fan club is not allowed to accompany you." He added, then he swooped away.

Salazar suddenly had a thought. "You know _Professor_," he sneered, and Severus whipped around with a scowl on his face. "I don't know what your problem with me is, but ever since I walked through those doors last year you have been nothing but nasty to me. What have I ever done to you?"

"You're arrogant!" Severus shouted, making every head in the great hall turn towards them. "You're lazy! You think the rules are beneath you! You're just like your father!"

"Don't talk about my father!" Salazar yelled. "I put up with your bullying of me last year, but I won't this year!"

"Be quiet you insolent whelp!"

"NO!" Salazar shouted.

"DETENTION POTTER!" Severus bellowed. "For yelling at a Professor." He said with a haughty smirk. "Be in my office tonight at 7 sharp, and if you're late Potter, I'll have you in detention for the rest of the year." He spat.

Salazar glared furiously at Severus, but he kept quiet. He had gotten what he wanted. He also knew that Severus knew what he had done, but it was all right. It would get sorted out this evening.

Salazar sat back down as Severus moved on to finish passing out schedules. He started looking over his own schedule, but looked up when Hermione spoke.

"Harry! You just back talked a teacher!"

"Yeah well, he's a greasy git."

"Harry!" She gasped. "I know he's unpleasant…"

"Unpleasant!?" Blaise interrupted. "Hermione, Snape hates Harry."

"Blaise is right Hermione." Neville said. "Snape treats Harry worse than he treats Gryffindors."

"But he's still a teacher!"

"That's what makes it so bad." Gordy suddenly said, making everyone look at him. "Professor Snape should not act like that."

"It's all right you lot. It'll be fine, but I better go talk to the Headmaster. Neville, Hermione, I'll see you in Defense later because we have class with you all. Blaise, please save me a seat in Charms if you can. Colin, Gordy, don't yell at the Professors."

Gordy started laughing. "Or call them names."

"That too." Salazar said with a chuckle. "I got to go. Bye you all." He added, then he hurried off to Albus's office.

* * *

Salazar was just about to exit the great hall when a blond man in periwinkle robes intercepted him and began to walk along beside him. He had a large bright smile, and grinned down at Salazar who glanced briefly at him.

"Harry Potter!" He exclaimed. "It's an honor to meet you! Did I just hear Professor Snape say that you have a fan club? You're starting early I take it! That's good! That's good!" He cried happily, without giving Salazar a chance to correct him. "I can teach you all about fame and how to manage it. I do, of course, know what I'm talking about. I have…"

"I'm sorry sir, but who are you?" Salazar asked, cutting him off mid-speech.

The wizard looked slightly affronted, but he recovered quickly and gave Salazar another bright smile.

"That's right, you have lived with muggles your whole life. Well Harry, I am Gilderoy Lockhart! Order of Merlin, third class, _and_ I have won Witch Weekly's best smile award numerous times, and I'm also your new Defense Professor!"

"I see." Salazar replied. "Well, it was nice to meet you, but I have to see The Headmaster."

"Oh yes, yes, of course. I'm heading that way myself. Not to see the Headmaster, but I think we can take this time to talk."

"Ok." Salazar said a little unsurely. "But I have to say, I don't have a fan club. Those were my friends."

"Ah yes, that may true young celebrity, but not all friends are fans, and not all fans are friends. You have to be very careful. I can help you to see the difference, seeing as I have plenty of experience myself!"

"They don't care about the famous thing."

"Ah yes, but they may…"

"PEEVES! Leave them alone!" Salazar suddenly shouted.

They had just rounded the corner onto the second floor, and Salazar caught sight of the Poltergeist dropping water balloons on the heads of some first year Ravenclaws.

Peeves suddenly stopped and was about to make a rude comment, until he saw who it was.

"Lord Slytheryness, how nice to see you this morning." He said in a somewhat sickly sweet voice that was tinged with nervousness. "Peevsie was just poking fun at the lost first years. No harm. Just honest fun."

Salazar gave him a leveled glare. "It looks to me like they are soaking wet."

"Yeeeessss." Peeves drawled.

"Away with you, before I summon Baron." Salazar said with warning.

Peeves suddenly yelped, tossed the balloons up in the air, and zoomed down the corridor. Salazar thought quickly and drew his wand.

"Immobulus!" He cried, and the balloons froze in mid-air. "Come you lot, so I can set them down.

The first years hurried over to them and stood behind Harry, but Lockhart suddenly drew his wand.

"Not to worry Harry. I'll set them down! Reducto!" He cried.

Salazar had only a second to conjure a shield before the balloons exploded, but he managed to get it up in time to avoid the water that splashed everywhere. Lockhart however, wasn't so lucky. He had been standing in front of Salazar and took the full blast of the exploding water balloons, and now the man was standing there soaking wet.

Salazar just started at Lockhart. _He's an idiot._ He thought, but then he turned to the first years. "If you looking for the great hall, go straight down the corridor and then take a left. The main staircase will be to your immediate right, and you can take that all the way down to the entrance hall."

"Thank you. You've been very helpful. Not at all what I expected from a Slytherin." A girl with long pale blond hair and a dreamy voice said, as she smiled at him.

"You're welcome." Salazar replied.

They hurried off, whispering about how 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' had just saved them, but the blond haired girl ignored them, and continued to gaze around in wonder. Salazar turned back to Lockhart, who was muttering to himself, but then he looked up to find that Salazar was staring at him.

"So sorry about that Harry. Just a little slip of the tongue. Well, I guess I better be off. I need to…to…dry off." He said. Then Lockhart hurried towards the Defense classroom.

_"I don't think I like him Speaker. He seems like a stupid man."_

_"He is my dear. Severus was right. I don't like him."_ Salazar said, as he slipped down a shortcut to get to the Albus's office.

* * *

"Good morning Harry. Come in and have a seat." Albus said cheerfully. "How have you been this morning?"

_Between hyper children, idiot Professors, and now you…not so good._ Salazar thought bitterly, but then he smiled. "Fine." He answered.

"Very good. I wanted to see you this morning to find out how you've been. You disappeared again this past summer, and I'm happy to see that you made it back to us safely. May I ask where you were?"

"Traveling." Salazar stated simply.

"I see." Albus said with a frown. "May I ask why you didn't stay with the Dursleys?"

Salazar glared at him. "They were going to lock me up like some caged animal!" He cried. "I wasn't going to put up that, so I left."

"Yes, and I noticed you used magic at the Dursley also. Are you aware that you are not allowed to use magic outside of school?"

"Yes sir, but seeing as escaping from the Dursleys was a self-defense of sorts, I thought it was ok."

"But it didn't register with the Improper Use of Magic office." Albus stated.

"Probably because they recognized it as self-defense as well. I did a lot of reading about that last year, and even more when I left." He replied.

Albus frowned at him. "And how did you travel?"

"By muggle transportation. I summoned the Knight Bus and went to Gringotts. Then I turned some galleons into pounds, and traveled around by muggle means."

"But you would have been safe at Dursleys. You don't need to be out there alone because it's not safe! Why didn't you just endure…?"

"Because I _endured_ the Dursleys for ten years, but I won't any longer. I also didn't appreciate you sending your pet _Death Eater_ to escort me to them." He said, and smirked when Albus looked shocked. "Oh yes, I read and learned a lot over the summer. Professor Snape is a Death Eater. Now I know why he hates me."

"_Was_ a Death Eater Harry._ Was_. He has turned from that path."

"I doubt it."

"Professor Snape risked a lot to serve the light side in the last war…"

"Spare me the sob story Professor. His actions towards me, and his clear favoritism towards Malfoy and his lot, tell me all that I need to know."

"You're wrong about that Harry."

"That's because you always think you're right." Salazar said.

He knew of course, that Albus _was_ right, but for the sake of arguing he stuck with his 'view' on the matter.

Albus glared at him, but then he sighed. "I see that we are going to have to agree to disagree on that subject."

"I believe you are correct." Salazar replied. "From what I've been reading, and from my observations, Death Eaters won't change their…tattoo." He said with a slight smirk.

Albus glared at him again, but then he smiled. "You're a very bright boy Harry, but there is a lot you don't know."

"Then why don't you fill in the blanks?" Salazar asked.

"Because I don't think you're ready for it because you're too young."

Salazar laughed. "Again, you think you're right. I may be young Professor, but I can handle it."

"I don't think so, but we are done here. I believe you have a Charms class to attend."

"Yes sir." Salazar said, then he immediately stood up and left.

He had given Albus the chance to tell him about the prophecy, but clearly the man wasn't going to. If Albus really wanted 'Harry' to be prepared to face Voldemort, wouldn't he have taken the opportunity? Salazar just had to laugh, but he also wondered what other things Albus was going to 'keep' from him, and why he wanted 'Harry' to remain ignorant. The excuse of 'you're too young to handle it' seemed flimsy after all the things 'Harry' had went through last year.

Salazar just chuckled. _It is fine, let Albus play his games. He doesn't have to know that I am already fifteen steps ahead of him._ Salazar thought, then he laughed loudly.

* * *

***A/N* Luna made a cameo appearance! I just love her, and she is so fun to write, so i hope no one hates me for putting her in this chapter. **

**Also, its MERLIN! Now, before i get tons of eye rolls, and people start flaming me because of his existence in this story, let me explain. J.K. Rowling has stated that immortality cannot be achieved, BUT clearly it can, and I'm not talking about my version of Salazar. Merlin attended Hogwarts and was sorted into Slytherin. HOWEVER, according to Harry Potter wiki, all the King Arthur stuff happened almost 500 YEARS, before Hogwarts was founded in 992. That means Merlin was AT LEAST 600 years old when he went to Hogwarts. Clearly Merlin knew how to live a long life, and (maybe) he obtained immortality in cannon. Also, The Flamels have a way of living forever, as does Voldemort through the Horcruxes. So yes, i can see Merlin, the greatest wizard ever to live, being smart enough to come up with a form of immortality of his own. **

**"But what is Merlin up too?" You ask. **

**"I cannot say." I reply. "You'll just have to wait and see!"**

**LOL! I love you all. Thank you to everyone. I know i say this all the time, but it's true. You guys are awesome! Please let me know what you think about this chapter!**


	21. What Could It Mean?

***A/N* I know a few of you have asked me about my version of Merlin, and if he is based off the BBC TV show character. Im sorry to say, but no he's not. I have heard about the show, but i have never watched it. My Merlin's personality is of my own thinking, so maybe there might be similarities, but as i said, I've never seen the show so i cant say for sure. I hope you all dont hate me for it. He's not in this chapter, but he will pop up again soon.**

* * *

**Chapter 21**

**What Could It Mean?**

It had been a month since school started, and to be honest, Salazar was already at his wits end. He was looking for Voldemort to pop out from around a corner at a moment's notice, but so far, nothing had happened. Severus didn't know what Lucius was up to, and he and Salazar had sat down and brainstormed with Poppy and Minerva to try and figure it out, but to no avail. The twins were also watching the map, which was now complete thanks to James, for anything suspicious, but so far…nothing.

Severus said he would keep in contact with Lucius to see if the man would let something slip, but there was no guarantee that would happen. Severus also said he couldn't outright ask Lucius what he was doing either, seeing as this was knowledge that Severus wasn't supposed to have.

Albus was grating on Salazar's nerves even more than normal. He had taken to watching over Salazar with an even closer eye, and began popping up out of nowhere to 'just catch up' at least twice a week.

As far as the children went, Salazar was doing everything in his power to keep them in the dark about everything, but with his mood the way it had been, they were growing concerned. Salazar didn't want them to have to worry about any of this. They hadn't caught on to anything last year, for which Salazar was thankful for, but this year was different. It was almost like something was in the air, and it was just waiting to burst free. Salazar couldn't put his finger on what it was though, but it was disturbing.

Hermione, Neville, and Blaise asked him at least five times a day if he was all right, and he always told them that he was, but that wasn't going to satisfy them for much longer. Colin, who had taken to Gordy, and therefore Salazar, was just too hyper to really pay attention to more than one thing for any length of time. He was doing well in his classes though, and that was what really mattered.

Gordy however was something else. He had calmed down a lot, but he still followed Salazar everywhere except for classes. It was like having a little shadow, but as aggravating as he was, there was just something about Gordy that made Salazar not want to be rude to the young lad. He just couldn't explain it.

As for classes, Salazar was mostly happy with them and the material that was being taught this year. In Herbology they were studying mandrakes at the moment, and he was pleased with how Professor Sprout was conducting the class.

Nora however, was slightly miffed that she had to spend the classes outside the greenhouse because their cries would affect her too and the earmuffs wouldn't work for her. She spent most of class time playing around in the grass outside and 'jumping' out of the bushes to scare anyone who walked by. She had already caught Lockhart twice, and Albus once.

In Potions, Severus had them studying the Sleeping Draught, and in Transfiguration, Minerva was teaching them how to change beetles into buttons.

In Charms they were learning the severing charm, which caused a few problems because the children kept overpowering their spells and slicing things in half. One of the Hufflepuffs ended up cutting off the tip of her finger, but Flitwick was able to quickly reattach it and sent the poor girl to Poppy.

History was as it always was, and Salazar was beginning to get fed up with it. There was so much more to history than goblin rebellions and giant wars, but that was the only thing Binns would teach. He hoped that after Voldemort was gone for good that he could revamp the history class and replace the old ghost, but that was far into the future.

Defense was another matter though. He had figured out what the curse was and was planning on breaking it soon, but it didn't matter. Lockhart would soon be gone anyway, Salazar would make sure of that. Salazar hated him, pure and simple. Despite his first impression of Lockhart in the hall during the Peeves incident, Salazar had been willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

It turned out to be the wrong thing to do.

The man was vain, arrogant, and worst of all, a very inept Professor. He had decorated the entire classroom with nothing but pictures of himself, and during their first class, the idiot had given them a test. At first Salazar thought it was a smart thing to do. Perhaps it was to see what the children knew, but that was not the case.

It turned out to be a test that was all about Lockhart himself. It had questions like what his favorite color was, what his greatest achievement was, and how he liked his picture taken. Salazar had gritted his teeth, but held his tongue and took the test, which he failed, but he didn't care.

_THEN_ on top of all of that, the idiot set loose a bunch of pixies in the classroom. Most of the children ran out screaming, as did Lockhart himself, but Hermione, Blaise, Neville, and Salazar managed to reign them in. Hermione and Blaise immobilized some of them, while Salazar and Neville froze the rest. The frozen ones fell out of the air like stones and shattered everywhere. Salazar had received a 'talking to' about 'killing things' from Albus over that incident because most of the pixies died. Thankfully Neville was spared from 'the talk' though.

After that, Lockhart had decided not to bring anything else into the class, and so for the last month, Lockhart had been reenacting his 'adventures', and he always picked 'Harry' to help him with them. In Salazar's mind, the man…Needed. To. Go.

* * *

_"Speaker, how am I supposed to help you if you sit lost in thought?"_ Nora asked, as she peered at him.

It was a week into October and they were sitting at a study table in the common room. Salazar was pretending to look over his Herbology essay that involved mandrakes, but Nora knew it was a ruse because of the look on his face. She called it his 'thinking expression'. Gordy was sitting across from Salazar, though he was a few seats away, and he was writing in some sort of black book that looked like a diary, but at least he was preoccupied for the moment.

_"Zabby is in the library with Bushy and Bottom, so we can talk freely. Talk to me Speaker, there is something troubling you."_

_"You mean something other than the obvious?" _Salazar asked.

_"Of course I mean something other than the obvious."_ She huffed._ "We know that The Clown is planning something to do with Morty, but we don't know what. Dumbly is being even more bothersome than usual, and there is nothing we can do about it. So other than that, what else are you not telling me?"_

_"Lockhart."_

_"Poncy? What about him? Has he hurt you because of his stupidity? Shall I bite him?"_ Nora asked with alarm.

_"No, no, nothing like that."_ He assured her. _"But he needs to go. He is a useless teacher, and he is not teaching anyone anything other than how to smile. I have stunned him five times during class already because of his stupid reenactments, yet he continues to tout about how great he is. Even Hermione is now realizing how much of a fraud he is, and you know how she can be when it comes to the Professors."_

_"What do we do?" _She asked, as she stretched out on the table.

_"Other than kill him, I have no idea."_ Salazar said with a scowl.

_"All right, what do we know about him?"_

Salazar sighed. _"Well, from what I can gather just by watching him, he is incompetent…"_

_"Obviously."_

Salazar glared at her for interrupting, but then he continued. _"Minerva said that Albus told the staff that he uses the memory charm to obliviate other wizards and to take credit for their work. She also mentioned that Albus said he actually knew a few of the people who Lockhart had obliviated. That's why Albus hired him, to expose him as a fraud."_

_"Why don't we put veritaserum in Poncy's pumpkin juice to find out the truth?"_

Salazar stared at Nora. _"My dear that is a brilliant idea!" _He suddenly cried. _"But how do we go about being sneaky with it?"_

_"Who says you have to be sneaky? Do it during dinner one night, so that he gets exposed for what he is. I'm sure you, Bat, Kitty, Healthy, and the Minions will think of something."_

_"Indeed."_ Salazar nodded, and he started thinking about the different possibilities.

_"What about tonight?"_

_"I have that all worked out. The curse on the Defense position will not be hard to break. I just need to do it at night because it may take a few minutes and I can't risk someone coming in during the day and catching me. It will cause a loud bang when it breaks though, so be ready for it. The curse is juvenile at best, but it is obscure and very old. Albus wouldn't think to look for it. You'll need to stay here though, because it could get dangerous."_

_"All right." _Nora said with a hint of disappointment. _"Just be careful."_

_"I will my dear."_

* * *

It was an hour after curfew when Salazar left Nora laying on his pillow, and he quietly slipped out of the dorm room. He had a plan for tonight. There was no way around the loud bang that would happen, and it would likely shake and wake up the entire castle. That's why he had Fred and George helping him, and Minerva, Severus, and Poppy running interference, and giving him and the twins time to escape the scene.

Once the curse broke, the twins were going set off a large prank in the corridor as cover for the noise, but they were going to have to be quick about it because Lockhart's living quarters were up the stairs in the classroom just off of his office. He no doubt would be the first one up and on the scene.

The curse itself was centered in the classroom, but it was tied to the job title, so even if the Defense Professor moved classrooms, the curse would still find the teacher. It was pretty complex for the type of spell it was, but Salazar knew it could be broken.

Using his snake form to look for the disillusioned twins, Salazar spotted them in the designated meeting place and quickly changed back into human form, and headed towards the small alcove located just outside the Defense classroom.

"Hello lads. Where do we stand?" He asked.

"Lockhart is in his room either sleeping, practicing his smile, or getting his hair ready for tomorrow." Fred said, brandishing the map.

George snorted. "We are all set up and ready to go. This prank will be brilliant. Magical confetti, glitter, and paint. We can't go wrong."

"Just be careful." Salazar warned. "Remember, let me get out of the classroom and into the shortcut before you set off the prank so I don't get covered in the stuff. Then you two get to the shortcut that leads to the fifth floor. You'll need to hurry though, because Professor Flitwick will be coming from Ravenclaw Tower which is near there, and unless Minerva runs fast to head him off, you might run into him."

"Yes sir!" They whispered as they saluted him.

"Stop that!" Salazar laughed, and he swatted the closest twin to him. "All right, here we go."

Salazar slipped out of the alcove and quietly entered the Defense classroom. He set up several wards that would help him locate and see the exact center point of the curse. When he did that, a small ball of energy with two 'strings' began glowing an ominous dark red. One 'string' led from the center point, the ball, which was laying just beneath the stairs. It went straight up into the ceiling, and was the one tied to Lockhart's teaching contract. The other 'string' led up into the office above it and was the one that was attached to Lockhart himself. All Salazar had to do was cut the 'strings' and disable the ball. Thankfully it could all be done at once.

He raised his wand and began to wave it in a complex pattern while chanting in Latin under his breath. He had to push hard with his magic, but finally after several minutes, the 'strings' were cut, and the ball began to glow.

Salazar began to quickly back way as the ball went from red, to dark purple, then to black. He was almost at the door when it disintegrated.

BOOM!

The loud sound shook the castle, and Salazar ungracefully went sailing through the air and out the slightly ajar door because of the shock wave. He managed to quickly get to his feet, and hurried over to a shortcut that led to the first floor. He heard the twins snickering, but seconds later he heard three more loud bangs as the pranks went off.

Just as he entered the shortcut though, he ran smack into a body that was just a little taller than himself. Both of them went crashing to the floor, and Salazar hurried to light the tip of his wand.

"Gordy?" Salazar asked in shock, as he and the red headed boy got to their feet. Gordy was rubbing his elbow, but had his customary large grin on his face.

"Hey Harry, fancy meeting you here."

"What are you doing here?" Salazar hissed. "And how do you know this shortcut?"

"You showed it to me, remember? The first week of school, and I saw you sneak out of the common room so I followed you. What are _you_ doing here?"

Salazar racked his brain, and he didn't recall ever showing Gordy this particular shortcut, but then again, the boy was like his second shadow.

"Setting off pranks. Come on." Salazar said with a sigh. "We have to hurry before someone sees us."

Gordy laughed as they began to run down the shortcut. When they got to the exit, which came out on the first floor, Salazar stopped to check if the coast was clear.

It wasn't.

"Blast!" He murmured under his breath.

"What is it?" Gordy whispered.

"Filch, Dumbledore, and Snape." Salazar replied.

"Uh oh."

He could have signaled for Severus to distract the other two, but with Gordy there, he couldn't. Albus and Filch's backs were towards them though, and maybe they could sneak by if they were disillusioned. The only problem was that the shortcut to the dungeons needed a password, and it was protected by a suit of armor.

"Oh Albus, there you are!" Minerva cried as she hurried down the main staircase. "It seems someone has set off a bunch pranks in the Defense corridor. Paint, glitter, and confetti are everywhere!"

Salazar heard Gordy snicker behind him, but Salazar shushed him.

Albus started chuckling. "Ah the joys of youth."

"Have you checked on those infuriating Weasley twins of yours?" Severus sneered. "This sounds like something they would do."

"I have, and they are in the common room. There is no way they could have done it. I would have seen them as I came down the stairs." Minerva replied hotly.

"I bet it was Peeves then!" Filch shouted. "Bloody poltergeist!"

"Well, I suppose we better go take a look." Albus said with another chuckle.

They moved off, and Salazar waited a few minutes before making a beeline for the suit of armor, then he stopped and rolled his eyes.

"Salazar acts like a baby." He whispered, and he heard Gordy snort loudly behind him.

The suit of armor stepped aside, and they headed for the dungeons.

"How did you know that, and who set that up?"

"I told you a few weeks ago that the Founders had their own shortcuts. That was one of Godric Gryffindor's, and he set the password."

"Why do you think he chose that one?"

"Because they were the best of friends." Salazar replied quietly.

"They were?" Gordy asked. "I thought they hated each other."

"No, they didn't, but Slytherin messed it all up."

"How?"

"By being selfish." Salazar answered softly.

"Oh. How do you know that?" Gordy asked.

"I read a lot." He replied as they slipped into the common room.

It was jammed packed. It seems that the loud bang had awoken everyone and the whole house was congregating in there, but thankfully that allowed him and Gordy to slip in unnoticed.

"There you are Harry!" Blaise cried when he spotted them. "Where have you been? Nora wouldn't tell me anything." He said holding her up.

"I've been pranking the Defense corridor." Salazar said with a grin. "Well actually I was helping Fred and George do it."

Blaise started laughing. "That was you!?"

"And Fred and George." He laughed.

Salazar began to tell Blaise everything that happened prank wise, and of course, Gordy listened to every word with rapt attention and starry eyes. Blaise burst out laughing when Salazar told him how Gordy followed him, and Gordy had the good sense to blush. Blaise knew how much the red head followed 'Harry' around.

After a while though, Severus came in to tell them that everything was all right and to get to bed. They all breathed a sigh of relief and did as they were told. Salazar slept better that night than he had the last few weeks, because he finally felt like he had gotten something done.

* * *

For the next few days, the topic of conversation in the halls was the gaudy monstrosity that was the Defense corridor. The walls, floor, and ceiling had been completely coated with paint, glitter, and confetti. Lockhart was walking around grinning and smiling like usual, and kept saying that it was a nice change from the plain grey walls it had been. The way he was going on about, one would think it had all been his idea.

Filch was still trying to clean up the mess, but none of the students volunteered to help the cranky caretaker. After a few days of watching him struggle though, Flitwick took pity on him and helped by using magic, so the mess was finally gone after a few hours later.

It was Saturday though, and Salazar was sitting in an unused classroom on the fifth floor. Well, he was more like hiding really. The children were growing more concerned by the day, and he was trying to avoid them as much as possible so they wouldn't ask him for the umpteenth time if he was all right.

Nora was sitting beside him, and they were trying to figure out ways of exposing Lockhart. He hadn't had a chance to really speak with Minerva, Poppy, and Severus yet, but that wasn't going to stop him from trying to come up with a plan. However, he suddenly had an idea and reached into his pocket to pull out the mirror James had given him.

"James Potter." He said in a loud whisper.

He waited a few moments, but when James didn't answer he tried again, only this time a little louder.

"James Potter." He said, and waited again.

Finally Lily appeared in the mirror with a smile. "Salazar! It's so good to hear from you. Sorry it took me a bit to get here. I was tending to the back garden. James isn't here though. He's in Rio Way drooling over the new Nimbus 2001 that came out. Apparently we were a little behind Britain in getting it."

Salazar laughed. "Brooms, I hate them." He said, but then he sighed.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked. "Maybe I can help?"

"You actually might Lily." He said, then began to explain the Lockhart situation.

Once he was done telling Lily everything, she pursed her lips in concentration. "Maybe if you had Minnie place a sticking charm to his chair, and Severus slip the veritaserum in his drink and ask him a question it would work. He would be trapped in his seat, and forced to answer questions. The only drawback is actually using the veritaserum so publicly, seeing as it is regulated by the Ministry."

"And that is where I'm stuck." Salazar admitted. "But the rest is a good idea. I hadn't thought of doing that way."

Lily stared at him. "Salazar, surely you must know that veritaserum isn't the only truth serum out there. Just use a plain mild truth serum. From what you told me about this man, it should still work."

This time it was Salazar who was the one staring. "Lily that is brilliant!" He cried. "Perenelle always tells me I have a tendency to overthink things at times, and this is one of those times. It's so simple really."

She smiled at him. "Well I'm glad I could help. I'm going to tell James what all you told me, but he will probably laugh himself to death and ask you to send him the memory of it." She said with a chuckle, but then she grew sort of quiet. "Is there any news on Sirius? I know James will ask me about him."

Salazar shook his head sadly. "No Lily I'm afraid not. I'm so sorry to say, but there is so much else going on this year that I haven't even thought about it. Aside from Lockhart the Fraud, Lucius Malfoy is planning something that involves Voldemort, but what it is I don't know. I only know this because his mistreated house elf came and told me. Whatever Lucius has going on, it is very, very dark. There is a dark object here at Hogwarts and the castle knows it's here. Whatever this dark object is, it is evil and it is _active_. I can feel it, and because of that, I have this overwhelming sense of dread that is mounting each day. It feels like a dam is fixing to break free, and because I don't know what it is, I can't stop it."

Lily stared at him with frightened eyes. "Oh goodness. Salazar I had no idea, if I had, I wouldn't have brought up Sirius and caused you more…"

"No it is all right Lily. Don't worry over it." He assured her.

"Do you think you can feel it because you are a Founder?"

"Oh yes, and I think Albus knows it's here as well. Hogwarts would alert him too because he's the Headmaster." He said, but then he got a thoughtful look on his face. "In fact, that would explain why he keeps popping up and asking me how I'm doing."

"You mean, Albus thinks that you are causing whatever is going on?" She asked, looking slightly angry.

"Yes, I think so."

"Oh you wait until the day I get to see him face to face. I swear I'm going to give that man a piece of my mind!" She shouted, as she stomped her foot in anger.

Salazar chuckled. "I'll disarm him so that you can have a go."

She laughed loudly. "I might not need you too." She giggled, but then she stopped and cocked her head to one side. "Why didn't Hogwarts tell you that Voldemort was there last year?"

"Because he's a wizard. It's impossible to detect dark wizards because they are people, and their emotions and intentions change all the time. Hogwarts won't pick up on that, even if they are in wraith form. However, dark _objects _are different because of the wards that Godric placed. She is able to pick up on those because they don't change. They are constantly dark. This object, whatever it is, is active and very _evil_.That's why Hogwarts is instilling a sense of urgency in me and Albus."

"It's like the castle is telling you to hurry before something bad happens." She said.

Salazar nodded. "Yes." He said with a small smile. "As for Sirius though, Nicholas and I have pretty much exhausted very legal option, short of Nicholas demanding a trail. That wouldn't be good because that would raise too many questions. The only thing left is illegal options."

Lily stared at him. "You mean a breakout!?" She asked in surprise.

"Yes, the only problem with that is…"

"You can't breakout of Azkaban." She muttered.

"Right."

Lily sighed softly. "All right. I'll tell James all that's going on just so that he knows. It's going to hurt him about Sirius, but I know he will understand, just as I do. The most important thing is protecting the school from whatever Malfoy is doing. Deal with that first, and then hopefully we can figure out Sirius's situation."

"Thank you for understanding." He said.

"You're welcome." She said with a smile. "I don't know Mrs. Flamel, but I know she's right. You can't keep overthinking things because when you do, you miss the small stuff. Overthinking things will just make the problems more complicated. So stop doing that."

Salazar laughed loudly. "Oh my dear, Perenelle would love you. She says the same things to me all the time."

"Then she is a smart lady." Lily grinned. "All right, you better go run that Lockhart plan by Minnie and Sev to see what they think. Maybe they have a better one."

"We will see. All right, get back to my back garden and keep it looking nice." Salazar teased.

"I'll make sure I destroy it."

Salazar laughed again, and they broke off the conversation. He felt a bit more lighthearted after talking to Lily, and as he stared at the opposite wall, he realized that she was right. He had been overthinking things. He needed to take a deep breath, step back, and look at all this logically. He also need to stop bottling all of this up, and talk to someone. He decided right then that he needed to talk to Severus, Poppy, and Minerva…and soon.

* * *

He had been able to corner Severus earlier that day, and tell him about his conversation with Lily and all the bottled up feelings he had been keeping to himself. Severus thought that the plan for Lockhart was brilliant, but he whacked Salazar over the head with a stack of parchment for keeping things bottled up. Severus claimed that 'Perenelle told me to do that', which Salazar actually believed. They hadn't had a chance to talk with Minerva and Poppy yet, but they agreed to talk with them about everything soon.

Right now though, Salazar was sitting in the common room with Blaise and Gordy, and they were all glaring at the Quidditch team that had just came in.

"How in the world did I miss this?" Salazar asked rhetorically.

"Well, to be perfectly honest," Blaise said quietly. "You have been slightly self-absorbed recently."

Salazar sighed. "Yes, I suppose I have."

"Whatever is wrong with you seems to be effecting your shadow too." Blaise laughed. "He's becoming moody just like you."

Gordy chuckled. "That's not true Blaise."

Salazar took a moment to look at the young lad. He did look awfully pale and sort of distracted, and not at all like the happy-go-lucky person he normally seemed. He was holding the black book that he always seemed to be writing in though, but he quickly stuffed it in his pocket when he caught Salazar looking at it.

"It's just a diary full of ramblings." He said quickly.

"All right." Salazar answered, but still eyeing the boy carefully.

"So what do we do about that?" Blaise asked, motioning towards the Quidditch team

Draco was standing in the middle of the common room boasting about his recent spot on the Quidditch team. He was holding up a brand new Nimbus 2001, and was bragging about how his father had bought one for each player on the team.

"You should have seen the looks on those Gryffindors!" Draco laughed. "They were so angry, and those pathetic Weasleys were so jealous! You see my father can afford the best things, and their father can't even afford food!" He cried. Then he smirked over in Salazar, Blaise, and Gordy's direction. "Then that filthy little mudblood Granger had the audacity to claim that I had bought my way on the team. You should have seen the looks on the faces of those stupid Gryffindors when I called her that too. They were hopping around crying 'don't call her that'!" He said little mocking voice, and then laughed again.

"He's just taunting us Harry." Blaise said angrily as he glared at Draco, while keeping a tight grip on Salazar's arm. "Don't…don't fall for his taunts…Gordy!"

Salazar hadn't even seen Gordy move because he had moved so quickly, and before anyone realized what was happening, Draco was laying on the ground screaming in pain. He was covered in painful boils from head to toe and the blond was sporting a brand new pair of shiny black horns that were growing out of his head.

"Merlin Gordy! You're lighting quick!" Blaise managed to shout over Draco's screaming.

Everyone in the common room had backed up as Gordy stormed over to the fallen boy.

"LISTEN TO ME YOU POMPOUS SORRY EXCUSE FOR A WIZARD! If you EVER call ANYONE by that name again, you will get worse! Do you understand me!?" Gordy shouted, as he lifted Draco up and roughly sat him down in a chair.

Crabbe and Goyle made a move towards Gordy, but he pulled himself up to his full height and stared them down. Gordy wasn't a scrawny little kid though. In fact, he was almost the size of Crabbe and Goyle, even if the two buffoons were second years, but they suddenly found themselves tied up in ropes with no hope for escape. No one even saw Gordy cast the Incarcerous spell.

Salazar could only stare at him though. Gordy was strong, Salazar already knew that, but this…this was something else. The look on Gordy's face, his mannerisms, and just the sheer quickness and aptitude he displayed seemed…familiar.

"You are not the only one who has wealthy parents you little git!" Gordy shouted, as he got right in Draco's face. "I WILL be talking to my family, and we WILL be gifting Gryffindor new brooms! Now get out of my sight!" He yelled, and Draco quickly jumped out of the chair, but he fell over and hit the floor because his legs gave out.

"And my family will be gifting new brooms to Ravenclaw!" Blaise suddenly shouted, as Snape came running in with a prefect trailing behind him.

"POTTER! What is going on here!?" Severus asked.

Salazar couldn't speak. He was too stunned by what happened, and Severus picked up on that as he glared around the room. Severus quickly made his way over to Draco, who was still covered in boils and with horns growing out of his head, and quickly canceled the curses. Then he looked over at Crabbe and Goyle, and canceled the Incarcerous spell that had been placed on them.

"Crabbe, Goyle, Nott!" Severus yelled. "Get him to the hospital wing! Potter, Roffin, Zabini my office NOW!"

Salazar nodded numbly, and Blaise grabbed Gordy, who was still glaring at Draco as Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott dragged the mumbling blond out the common room. They followed behind Severus as he led them to his office, and when they were all inside, the Potions Master slammed the door behind them.

"Sit." He ordered through gritted teeth, as he leaned over his desk to glare at them.

Salazar and Blaise did so quickly, but Gordy didn't budge.

"He got what he deserved. He called Hermione a mudblood, and I…will…not…put…up…with…that." Gordy growled, as his grip tightened on the back of the wooden desk chair he was leaning against. "Also, the little braggart wants to spout off about how much money his _Daddy_ has, well so can I. I have money too, and I will be gifting Gryffindor new Nimbus 2001s." He stated, as Severus glared at him.

"Gordy's right." Blaise said. "I think everyone should be on an even foot though. If Gordy has Gryffindor, then my Mum will happily gift the same to Ravenclaw. It is her old house after all."

"I'll take Hufflepuff then. The Potter wealth is well known." Salazar said, finally managing to take his eyes off Gordy long enough to find his senses.

"How very _noble_ of you all." Severus sneered. "Mr. Roffin, you have a week's worth of detention for assaulting Mr. Malfoy. Now I suggest you peel yourself away from Potter, and get back to the common room. Potter, you remain here. I'm not done with you yet. Mr. Zabini, no punishment for you…for now." He spat. "Now go!"

Blaise grabbed Gordy, who clearly didn't want to leave the room, but he finally relented and let Blaise drag him out. When the door was finally shut, Severus sat down heavily.

"Before you ask, I have no idea." Salazar said. "Gordy jumped up so quickly that I didn't have time to stop him. He fired off those hexes so quickly that I didn't even see them hit Draco, nor did I see the incarcerous spell hit Crabbe and Goyle. Not only that, but he did them silently Severus. _That_ is the mark of a well-trained, very talented duelist. Quick draw, quick reflexes, and complete silence. I realize that anyone can pull off silent spells, but not everyone can cause them to be invisible and silent like Gordy did. _I _can't even do that."

"What do you think?"

"I have not a clue." Salazar answered. "All I really know about Gordy is that he is a half-blood with two magical parents. He doesn't speak about his Mum and Dad at all, but then not many Slytherins do, with the exception of Draco." He said with a sigh. "There is something about him though. As aggravating as the lad can be, there is something about him. I didn't know what it was before, but after tonight, I think I have it somewhat pin-pointed. He is familiar to me."

"Huh?" Severus said, slightly confused. "Familiar?"

Salazar nodded. "Yes, and what is highly disturbing is, the only other time I have felt this familiarity was last year. Despite the pain I was in from Voldemort being so close, I had this feeling of familiarity. Now mind you, I'm not 100% sure about this, but I think the horcrux in my head was reacting to Voldemort's magic on a small scale. It's the magic that seems familiar, and Gordy's magic feels familiar. I think that's why I don't mind his clinginess, it's…a comfortable feeling." He said with a heavy sigh.

"Is it dark?" Severus asked in alarm.

"Slightly, but not anywhere near as dark as Voldemort's, and Voldemort's was very uncomfortable feeling. Gordy's isn't though, and that's what makes it so tough to…to pin down." Salazar admitted with a frustrated sigh.

"Do you think Roffin is somehow connected to what has been happening with the castle's warnings?"

"I don't know?" Salazar said, shaking his head. "I sincerely hope not, because the lad is very kind, polite, and caring. IF he is caught up in this mess, then I don't think he is a willing pawn. Thankfully the boy sticks to me like glue, so I won't have a problem keeping an eye on him."

Severus sighed heavily. "I'll let Minerva and Poppy know so that they can keep an eye on him as well. He does excellent in my class and Minerva has said that he is extremely talented in Transfiguration, but we will let you know if he starts slipping in his studies, or starts showing any other signs that are abnormal."

"Thank you, but I better go before Gordy storms the room thinking you are turning me into potions ingredients."

Severus chuckled, and Salazar stood up to leave. When he exited the office, he just had to chuckle. Gordy and Blaise were waiting for him just down the hall from Severus's office.

"You didn't get in trouble, did you?" Blaise asked, as Salazar caught up to them.

"No, but he seems to think I had something to with it though, as usual." Salazar said with a sigh. He really did hate having to lie to the children all the time.

"Well that's good." Gordy said with a smile. "It would have been my fault. I'm sorry I lost my temper like that, but that boy gets on my nerves."

"Yeah, you really acted like a Gryffindor." Blaise laughed.

Gordy laughed loudly. "I'm sorry, is that bad?"

"Yeah, if you're in Slytherin." Salazar said with a chuckle, and the other two snorted.

"Well, we better get back to the common room before Snape catches us." Blaise said. "I really don't want to face him again tonight."

Salazar and Gordy agreed, and they quickly headed off in that direction. Salazar wanted to head to bed early. He had a lot of thinking to do about the _new_ situation, and what it could possibly mean.

* * *

***A/N* WHEW! This chapter has a lot going on, and it was hard to write! Im a little nervous about this one because it is still not as good as I'd like it to be, but i was able to get everything that i needed to in it. I hope you enjoy it and can still get a sense of what is happening! Salazar is a little down in the dumps, but hopefully things turn around for him soon. Thanks for reading you guys, and please let me know what you think!**


	22. Good Riddance!

**Chapter 22**

**Good Riddance!**

It had been another long week for Salazar, and Halloween was fast approaching. The feelings were getting more intense, and he was no closer to figuring out what was going on. Whatever Lucius was up too, he wasn't speaking a word about it.

Dobby had come to Salazar to check in, but he didn't have any more information that he could give Salazar. All that he could say was that Lucius kept muttering that 'he' would get what was coming to him. Dobby didn't know who the 'he' was though.

He had _finally_ been able to tell Minerva and Poppy everything. Minerva was excited about the Lockhart plan, and Poppy just laughed about it and said that Lily had always been a very clever witch. However, they both yelled at Salazar for keeping all his feelings and thoughts to himself, 'just like Perenelle told them too.' Salazar was beginning to wonder if Perenelle was secretly writing to all of them.

The only thing that bothered Salazar about the Lockhart plan was that he was afraid that Albus would be angry at Minerva and Severus. After all, that would mean that Albus himself would have to teach Defense until he could find a replacement, which according to Severus was going to be very hard to do, seeing as no one wanted the job. However, Poppy mentioned, rather nastily, that it would keep Albus busy, seeing as all he did was sit up in his office trying to think up ways to place a 'child' in danger. Everyone agreed with her, and Minerva and Severus didn't care a bit about Albus's getting mad at them.

Severus decided not to write to Lucius about what had happened with Draco because he wanted to see what Draco was going to do. It turned out that Draco didn't do anything though. He just kept out of Blaise, Salazar, and Gordy's way, much to Gordy's amusement.

Slytherin House was not happy with the three of them because of the brooms they were going to give to the other houses. Salazar became concerned for Gordy's safety in the dorms because of it all, so he placed the same blood protection ward around Gordy's bed that he had placed around his and Blaise's. This one though, was centered right above Gordy's bed, so it wasn't protecting anyone else. Thankfully, when they had placed the ward nothing turned up cursed.

Speaking of brooms though, today was the day that they were set to arrive. Everyone in the school knew that Slytherin had received the new brooms, but no one knew what was about to happen. Severus promised that he wouldn't tell the other Heads of House because he was 'sulking' and 'angry' over Slytherin not having the clear advantage this year, so that meant that none of the other Heads had any idea what was going on either. Salazar hadn't told Fred and George, and he, Blaise, and Gordy decided it would be a nice surprise to let everyone find out together, and Slytherin House certainly wasn't going to mention it to anyone else.

Salazar, Blaise, and Gordy were currently sitting at the breakfast table, and kept giving each other secretive smiles. They knew that at any moment…

"WOW look at that!" A fourth year Hufflepuff suddenly shouted.

The great hall was buzzing as a massive flock of owls swooped into the great hall carrying twenty-one long packages. It took three owls to carry each one, and everyone watched dumfounded as all of the owls laid seven of the packages in front of each Head of House. Then one owl dropped a letter a single letter in front of each Head, who looked very mystified by the number of owls.

The great hall was silent as everyone stared, but it was Flitwick who read his letter first. He squeaked loudly and fell out of his seat, but then he gathered himself up and stood on top of the head table, and cast a voice amplifying charm that made his squeaky voice boom out into the great hall.

"**Dear Professor Filius Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw House. It is with great pleasure that we at the Nimbus Racing Broom Company are able to send you our new Nimbus 2001 racing broom for each member of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team! This was made possible through a donation by The Zabini family. We hope you all enjoy!"**

A beaming Professor Sprout stood up. **"My letter says the same, except our brooms were donated by the Potter family!"**

**"As for Gryffindor,"** a very teary eyed, excited Minerva stood up and said. **"Ours were donated by the Roffin family!"**

The great hall was dead silent as everyone stared around at each other in shock, but then Blaise got a wicked grin on his face and stood up.

"You can all thank Draco Malfoy's father for the idea!" He shouted.

Chaos suddenly reigned in the great hall as all the other houses began whooping, cheering, and hugging each other. The Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor Quidditch teams ran up to the head table to collect and unwrap their new brooms, and they all held them up high to show them off. Slytherin House stayed silent for the most part and glared at their house mates, who just shrugged, but some in the house stood up to clap politely. These of course, were mostly families who were light or neutral.

Fred and George were the first to make it to Slytherin table and nearly squashed poor Gordy with a hug. Oliver Wood was close behind them with tears in his eyes, and wouldn't stop shaking his hand, while Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, and Alicia Spinnet wouldn't stop kissing his cheeks in thanks.

Blaise was surrounded by the Ravenclaw team, and found himself hoisted on their shoulders, and Hufflepuff surrounded Salazar and shook his hand and gave him hugs.

"Thank you! Thank you so much Potter!" One of the players said. "My name is Cedric Diggory, I know we have never met before, but thank you so much!"

Salazar smiled at the young man and nodded. "It was my pleasure. Hufflepuffs aren't the only ones who are allowed to believe in fairness."

Cedric beamed at him. "No, I guess not. If there is anything I can ever do for you, please let me know. This is an amazing gift, and someday I'd like to repay you for it."

Salazar shook his head. "That's not necessary, it's a gift, and I'm sure you'll use it to its fullest potential."

"Oh I will!" Cedric laughed. "Well, I better go. Hufflepuff is probably going to throw a party without me."

Salazar laughed as he watched Cedric bound away, then he took a deep breath and looked around. Most of Slytherin had left the great hall, but there were still a few sticking around to congratulate their friends in other houses. Salazar looked at these Slytherins and nodded. There was only a few of them, but they gave him hope, hope for the future of his house.

The other houses were still in a state of celebration, and he grinned as he watched them. Up at the Head table, Severus was 'sulking' and 'sneering' at Minerva who was clearly teasing him. All the other Professors were smiling and talking, but it was Albus who caught his eye.

Albus was looking right at him with twinkling eyes and a genuine smile. He raised his glass in Salazar's direction when they looked at each other, and for the second time ever, Salazar nodded his head, raised his own glass, and gave Albus a genuine smile in return.

* * *

"Gryffindor tower is still talking about it Harry." Neville laughed.

It was Saturday and Salazar, Blaise, Hermione, and Neville were taking advantage of one of the last few semi-warm days before winter really set in, and they had been sitting outside beside the lake doing homework and just relaxing for a few hours. Gordy, along with Colin, managed to get themselves into trouble with Severus and were serving detention for back talking. Apparently, Severus had made a scathing remark about 'Harry' in class and because they had potions at the same time, both Gordy and Colin yelled at him for it. Needless to say, Gryffindor had lost a lot of points that day.

"Neville's right. The Quidditch team has hung their brooms on the wall of the common room." Hermione said as she rolled her eyes. "I'm not a huge fan of Quidditch, and I think what you all did was very nice, but I just don't see the need in constantly talking about it."

"I think it's great." Neville said with a laugh, but then his face darkened. "Ron didn't like it though."

Salazar looked up from his Charms paper a bit startled. "What do you mean? He loves Quidditch. I figure he'd be happy."

"Yeah." Blaise said. "What's up with Ron? He's been awfully quiet this year. He only glares at us now, but he hasn't said much to us."

"He's jealous." Hermione said rolling her eyes again as she flipped through her Transfiguration book.

"Hermione's right. He jealous." Neville said shaking his head. "He was spouting off in the common room about the 'greasy, slimy Slytherins' and how they probably 'jinxed the brooms'. He's mad because he doesn't have one, and was talking about how 'Potter is always showing off that he has money'. Fred and George told him to shut up, but he started yelling at them about 'being family traitors' and how 'Potter better watch his back'."

"Merlin, Ron has issues. It wasn't even Harry who gave the brooms to Gryffindor in the first place." Blaise said.

"He doesn't care who did it." Hermione said. "I personally think he just likes to hear himself talk. He does seem a lot angrier this year though."

_"I'm not worried about Carrot. I will bite him again if I have to. He only needs to come near Speaker and I'll have him."_ Nora said with a huff as she stretched out in the grass.

"Well Nora, after what Gordy did to Draco I don't think he really wants to get too close. The whole school knows about that." Neville said.

"I did thank him for sticking up for me." Hermione said quietly.

"We know you did Hermione. Gordy told us." Blaise said.

She looked at him and smiled, but then she caught the look on Salazar's face. "Harry, are you ok? You're staring off into space again."

He looked at her and nodded. "Yeah I am. I think I'm going through one of those pre-teen hormone puberty change…things." He said waving his hands around.

Hermione burst out laughing. "Well, if you are that sure does answer a lot of questions."

"And explains why you have been so moody lately." Blaise teased as Salazar glared at him.

Truth was, Salazar had been thinking about the Lockhart plan because after tonight, no more Lockhart, or at least they hoped. Severus had just finished brewing the completely legal general truth serum and would slip it in his drink tonight. Salazar was just worried that they would get in trouble with Albus.

"Hey you were right! There they are!" They heard Colin suddenly shout. "Hey guys! We made it through detention in one piece!" He said with a laugh as he plopped himself on the grass.

"Did you manage to keep your temper in check this time?" Salazar asked looking at Gordy with a smirk.

Gordy laughed loudly. "Yes, you would have been so proud of me. Snape tried getting a rise out of me, but I didn't fall for this time." He said, looking rather smug.

Salazar chuckled. "All right, as long as you held it together."

"Yeah, at least you didn't act like a Gryffindor again." Blaise teased.

"HEY!" All three Gryffindors protested together, and everyone broke down laughing when Colin picked up a handful of grass and threw it at Blaise.

Blaise picked up his own handful of grass and tossed it back at him, which caused Neville to jump in and defend his house mate. Pretty soon lumps of grass were flying through the air as the six friends faced off. Dirt and grass was everywhere, and all six of them were covered in the stuff, but after a while, there was no more grass in the immediate area. Refusing to give up though, wands were pulled and a friendly war of tickling charms began.

However, it all came to a screeching halt when everyone's least favorite Professor, second to Severus, showed up wearing powder blue robes.

"Ah! Such youthful innocence!" Lockhart exclaimed. "You know, I remember a time in my earlier years when I went toe to toe with a young wizard. He pulled his wand out like so," He said, demonstrating with an exaggerated flair. "And we dueled for hours! By the time that I got him stunned he was…"

Suddenly Lockhart hit the ground in a crumpled heap, and everyone turned around quickly to find Gordy standing there with a smug grin on his face. He just shrugged his shoulders and laughed.

"He was getting on my nerves." He said with a grin.

Salazar just stared at him because he hadn't seen the stunning spell that had hit Lockhart. Gordy look right at Salazar though, and gave him a small smile. Salazar took a small step backwards as he caught _something_ in Gordy's eyes.

_What **was**_ _that!?_ Salazar thought to himself, but he didn't have time to dwell on it because Neville's laughter shook him out of his thoughts.

Colin started laughing too and began to take pictures of Lockhart, and Nora even slithered on top of Lockhart's chest and posed for him. When he was done, Colin looked around at everyone grinned.

"Now what do we do with him?" He asked.

"I don't know about you guys, but I have suddenly forgot the spell that wakes people up. How about it?" Neville said with a snicker.

Blaise laughed loudly. "Neville, are you acting like a _Slytherin_ right now?"

Neville grinned at him. "Maybe."

"Neville! You can't just leave him here!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Who says we have to leave him?" Blaise said with a grin. "I'm thinking we should drag him through the dirt first because honestly, I have suddenly forgotten the levitation spell. What say you Harry?"

"That would be so wicked!" Colin exclaimed. "I'll take more pictures of him looking all dirty!"

Salazar sighed. _Can I really condone this?_ He thought as he looked around at the children's faces, but then he looked back at Lockhart. _Yes I can, because I really don't like him._ He thought with a grin.

"All right." Salazar chuckled. "Who is going to drag him?"

"I'll do it!" Gordy laughed, as he grabbed Lockhart's hands and began to drag him through the dirt and scattered clumps of grass.

They dragged Lockhart for a good twenty feet before Hermione started yelling at them to pick him up, so Salazar levitated him and they headed for the castle. They passed several students along the way, and most of them laughed. A few of Lockhart's fan girls grew concerned, but Hermione assured them that he was fine. Although Hermione herself was fretting about getting into trouble. Salazar assured them that they wouldn't.

Once they reached the castle, they passed by both Minerva and Severus, and after Salazar and the children had explained what happened, they each awarded ten points to both Gryffindor _and _Slytherin. The three Gryffindors nearly fainted because Severus never awards Gryffindor points if he can help it. They also passed by Albus, who look highly amused at the sight, and awarded five points to both houses, along with a few other Professors and students, most of whom laughed. Hermione felt a lot better about the situation after that.

Salazar had conveniently forgotten the most direct route to the hospital wing, and by the time they had gotten Lockhart to Poppy, they had paraded the stunned idiot around the entire castle…twice.

* * *

"You look awfully happy about something." Gordy leaned over and whispered to Salazar.

It was dinner time, and they were sitting at the Slytherin table. Salazar was in his normal seat at the very end, Gordy was beside him, and Blaise was sitting across from him and was engrossed in a conversation with Nora.

After they had gotten Lockhart to the hospital wing, they had left quickly, and obviously Poppy had woken him up and sent him on his way. He was now sitting up at the head table looking slightly miffed about his encounter with the first and second years. Rumor had it that he spent most of the day in his rooms 'getting cleaned up'.

Right now though, Salazar was grinning like a fool because Severus had just slipped the truth serum into the man's drink, and Lockhart hadn't even noticed. However, he turned to look at Gordy and chuckled.

"Just one of my mood swings I guess." He said with a smile, but then he noticed the mischievous gleam in Gordy's eyes.

"You're about to pull a prank, aren't you?" He asked with a grin.

"No, what makes you think that?" Salazar looking at the young lad.

Gordy shook his head and laughed. "I've seen that look on your face before."

Salazar looked at him a bit startled. "When?"

"A few weeks ago with the Defense corridor."

"Oh, well I'm not playing a prank on…"

**"Why yes Severus! I am a fraud!"** Lockhart suddenly declared loudly.

The entire great hall stopped, and became still and quiet as everyone looked at the Defense Professor, who seemed completely oblivious to the fact that Minerva had cast a voice amplifying charm on him. Severus had a wicked feral grin on his face, and Salazar couldn't help but snort, but he did notice that Severus seemed to ask another question.

**"Yes I do! In fact, I search out wizards who have accomplished great things and I get them to tell me all about it! Then I obliviate them…and…and…"**

Lockhart suddenly stopped and looked out across the hall to find that everyone was staring at him in shock. Severus must have asked another question, because Lockhart suddenly clamped his hand over his mouth to stop himself from speaking, but Severus pressed harder.

**"And I obliviate them and take credit for their work!"** Lockhart shouted. Then he jumped up and immediately fell over because the chair was stuck to his bottom. **"Yes! Everything I have done is a lie! No, stop asking me questions! Please! Yes, I'm a fraud! Stop! Please…and I'm a liar…Please Severus stop!"** He pleaded, as he tried to stand again.

He managed to waddle in a crouched position around the head table, but he fell down the few steps that led up to it and somehow landed in an upright proper position in the chair, and stared out over the great hall.

Students began yelling and throwing food at him, and many were shouting about how they would be telling their parents. Lockhart began waddling out of the great hall, but it was a slow going process seeing as the chair was still stuck to his bum.

Albus glared at Severus, but the Potions Master just sat there watching the retreating Lockhart with a smug smirk on his face. Minerva and Poppy were giggling, and the rest of the Professors were out right laughing. Salazar just laughed, and he knew that Lily and James were going to love this.

"You can't tell me that you didn't have anything to do with that." Gordy laughed as his dark green eyes danced with mischief.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Salazar snorted.

"All right Harry, whatever you say my friend." Gordy chuckled, as he ate the last few bites of his dinner.

Salazar just stared at him. _How does he know that I had something to do with it?_ He thought with alarm.

* * *

The thought had plagued him all night, and into Sunday. Even now, as he and the children sat in the library finishing up the weeks homework, he was still pondering the mystery that is Gordy Roffin.

The lad had known about the shortcut, and Salazar was pretty sure he hadn't shown him that one. The way he talked, his mannerisms, his _magic_, and he had the skills of a very well trained, talented duelist. It all seemed too familiar to Salazar.

He watched the lad out of the corner of his eye though. Gordy was helping Colin with a bit of Transfiguration homework, and he seemed to have knowledge about the subject that he shouldn't have. It was starting to become a bit too much for Salazar, but then he had an idea.

"Hey you lot. I left my History essay in the dorm. I want to check over it again, so I'm going to go get it. I'll be back in a bit."

They all nodded without looking up from what they were doing, so Salazar stood up and headed for the library's doors.

It was the truth, mostly. He _did_ want to check over his History essay, and it _was_ in the dorms, but he had an ulterior motive as well. He needed to find Fred and George. This was something he should have done weeks ago, but he hadn't thought about until now. He needed the twins to keep an eye on Gordy at night because he wanted to see what the young lad was up too. He knew Gordy mostly stayed in the common room with him at night, but what did the young lad do after curfew and after Salazar went to bed? Salazar didn't know, but he was going to find out.

He was just exiting the library when he ran right into someone, and would have fallen over if that someone hadn't caught him. He looked up in surprise, but smiled when he saw who it was.

"Oh Percy, I'm so sorry."

"It's all right Harry. Are you ok? You look a bit off." He asked with concern.

"Yeah I am. I'm just a bit distracted at the moment and I feel a bit…overwhelmed."

Percy smiled at him warmly. "Yeah I know how it can be. Second year is a bit tougher than first year. First year is mostly taking notes and learning theories with just a bit of spell work thrown in, but second year is where you really start applying those theories and you start having to do a lot of practical spell work. It's tough at first, but it gets better by Christmas. You're pretty powerful though, and you pick up stuff pretty quickly."

Salazar smiled at Percy. "Thank you, and I hope you're right." He said.

"Well I was just trying to help." He said with a smile. "It's the same thing that I have been trying to tell Ron, but he just seems so angry and moody all the time. He's been missing meals too, which is unheard of for Ron to do, and I'm worried about the pressure that he's under from his second year studies. He yells at me, Fred, and George all the time and tells us to leave him alone and mind our own business. I'm not sure if he's studying notes or not, but all he does is sit in a corner by himself. He's been reading and writing in this little black book." Percy said, shaking his head.

"He says it's a diary." A small voice said quietly. "But I don't know where he got it from."

Salazar looked around and noticed that Ginny was half hiding behind her brother, and was staring at him with wide eyes. He hadn't even noticed she was there at first, but when she realized that Salazar was looking at her and that she had spoken, she squealed and ran into the library.

Percy sighed and rolled his eyes. "That's Ginny, my little sister. She kind of…"

"Likes me. Yeah I know, Fred and George already told me." Salazar said with a chuckle.

Percy laughed. "Well then you must know about the image she has built up of you."

"Yeah I do. It's a little off putting though. I hope she grows out of it."

"So does my family and I." Percy said with a sigh. "But, I better get in there. I promised Ginny that I would show her all the best books for first year research."

"All right, and Percy, thank you for telling me it's going to get better. I think I really needed to hear that."

Percy smiled and patted Salazar's shoulder. "You're welcome Harry."

Salazar smiled as Percy entered the library, then he turned and ran towards the dungeons to collect his essay, then began his hunt for Fred and George.

* * *

As the sun sank into the horizon, darkness fell across all of the U.K. Out in the cold North Sea, there stood a prison that sat on top of a hidden island. The prisoners screamed as their guards came and went, and every one of them huddled in the corners of their cells.

On prisoner in particular, a man named Sirius Black, had just returned to his human form, having been a large black dog not a moment before. His wild and tangled hair hung in greasy clumps, and his eyes were mad with, grief, pain, and despair. He was muttering things under his breath as he curled up into a little ball to help keep himself warm. The things he muttered over and over were heartbreaking, if one knew the truth. He was saying things like 'I killed them', and 'it's all my fault'.

Suddenly, a bright ball of flame entered the man's cell, and a large beautiful phoenix landed lightly on his shoulder. The man jumped because he was so startled, but a moment later, both the phoenix and the man were gone in another flash of flames.

Sirius Black appeared in a small comfortable cottage somewhere in Ireland not even a minute later, and he had to shield his eyes away from the brightness that lit up the room. He quickly noticed the roaring fire in the fireplace and jumped from the chair that the phoenix had sat him in, and stumbled his way over towards the fire's warmth.

"Good evening Sirius." A gentle voice said, and Sirius turned quickly towards the sound.

"Who are you? Where am I?" He asked in a dry raspy voice, as his eyes finally adjusted to the brightness.

An old wizard with long white hair and a long white beard was sitting in a simple comfortable looking armchair. He was wearing simple green robes, and his brown eyes held a kindness in them that Sirius hadn't seen in many years. The man held a glass of cold water in his hands, and he offered it to Sirius, who had yet to move away from the fire.

"A-Albus?" Sirius asked, as he squinted at the man and took the water glass from him.

The man laughed warmly, but shook his head. "No my good man. Not every old wizard with long white hair and a beard is Albus Dumbledore." He said with chuckle. "My name is Merlin, and Sirius, I'm here to help you."

* * *

***A/N* Sirius is free, and Lockhart is gone! I know Sirius's freedom is something you all have been looking forward too, so i hope i didn't disappoint you! Please remember to review, so i know what you think! Thanks to you all!**


	23. It All Comes To A Head

***A/N* I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in over a week! With my kids starting back to school it has just been crazy! Anyway, I know you guys dont care about all that, so I'll spare you the details. The good news is...it's a new chapter! LOL! I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 23**

**It All Comes to a Head**

Sirius lay in bed the next morning wondering if it had all been a dream. He remembered being able to take a bath, eat a good meal, and he seemed to have had a goodnight's sleep.

_Yes, it's all been a dream. A wizard named Merlin has not rescued me. _He thought, as he whimpered and pulled the soft blankets up to his chin. _I'm still in my cell. The dementors will come at any…was that a bird singing? We don't have birds at…there is softness under me…wait…soft blankets?_

Suddenly Sirius's eyes popped open and he sat up in the bed with his eyes widening in awe. _It wasn't a dream!_ He thought, as a large grin appeared on his face. _I'm really in a house!_

Sirius slowly stood up and looked around the room, and the colors that met his eyes almost made him cry. All of the blues, greens, yellows, and browns, along with all the other colors was a welcomed sight, and it was quite the contrast to the dark dank gray color that his Azkaban cell had been.

He walked to the window and stared out in wonder. He saw the green grass covered fields and hills that seemed to stretch on for miles, and there were a few trees sprinkled in his line of vision. The little bluebird that had made him realize that this was in fact real, was sitting on the edge of a flowerpot pecking at the dirt that was in it. It was the most beautiful sight that Sirius had seen in almost eleven years, and he sank into a chair that was beside the window and watched the bird until it flew away.

He stood up and wandered around the room he was staying in, and took it all in. It was a small, plain room, but it was comfortable. A mirror that hung above a dresser caught his eye and he went to it. He stared at himself for a bit, and couldn't believe it was actually him that he was looking at.

He was thin and gangly looking, but after the years in Azkaban it was to be expected. His hair and beard were clean and trimmed now. He had done that after his bath the night before, but what really made him do a double take were his eyes. He stared at them in the mirror, and it looked like they were haunted and dead, until he remembered the little bluebird. Then there it was, a small spark of life had appeared in his eyes.

_I am free. _Sirius thought, as he gave himself a small smile and nodded, before he headed for his bedroom door.

He had been too shocked the night before to really pay attention to anything, but he now realized that the cottage was small. It had two bedrooms, but each had their own bath. There was a sitting room, and a very large library that looked slightly out of place for the small cottage, but he suspected that it had been magically enlarged. There was also a reading room and this was the room he recognized from the night before.

He came upon a decent sized kitchen and found two elves humming and singing happily while they worked. He just stood in the doorway, smiled, and his eyes closed for a few minutes, taking in the sounds and smells of everything the elves were doing and cooking. He opened them again when all the sounds stopped, and found that the two elves were now standing in front of him.

"We didn't want to disturb you Mr. Sirius. You seemed to be lost in thought." One of them said as he smiled up at Sirius.

"I was just listening to you go about your work. It's been awhile since I've heard singing." He said, and realized that his throat was dry because his voice was raspy.

The elf he had been talking to picked up on that, and fetched him a glass of water.

"Thank you." Sirius said after he had drank it, and then he handed the empty glass back to the elf.

"Master says that if you need anything, just ask. We can get it for you. I'm Whimsy, and this is Choppy."

Sirius chuckled. "Choppy?"

"I'm the cook." Choppy said with a large smile. "Master said it was a funny nickname, but my real name is Minny. You can call me either name you want though."

"You two don't talk like normal elves." Sirius said curiously as he looked at them.

"Oh, we have been with Master a long, long, time. We learned to speak properly because Master taught us how too. He is a good Master to us." Whimsy said.

"Where is your Master?" Sirius asked.

"He is outside in the garden. Would you like me to take you to him?" Choppy asked, and Sirius nodded.

They walked out the back door of the cottage and headed towards a large herb garden. There Sirius saw him again, the man who saved him from Azkaban. He was pulling weeds from the garden, but he was dressed in simple red robes with gold trim and Sirius smiled because it reminded him of Gryffindor. From the back though, he could be mistaken for Albus, but when Merlin turned around Sirius realized that he looked nothing like him. His face was different and he looked young, maybe fifty or so, and Merlin's brown eyes held no ulterior motive like Albus's did, all they held was kindness.

"Good afternoon Sirius." Merlin said with a gentle smile. "Forgive me, I like getting my hands dirty every once in a while." He continued, as he pulled his wand out and washed off his hands using the water charm.

"Master, dinner will be ready in two hours, but can I get you some tea and biscuits to hold you over?" Choppy asked.

"Yes Choppy, I think that would be lovely. Thank you." Merlin said and he smiled as the elf apparated away.

"Dinner? Did I really sleep all day?" Sirius asked in astonishment.

Merlin chuckled. "Can you deny that you needed it?" He asked, as they walked towards a patio that held a table and a few chairs.

"No, I suppose I can't." Sirius said with smile as he sat down. They sat in silence for a few minutes as they sipped their tea, but suddenly Sirius shifted uncomfortably and looked at Merlin. "Why did you do it, and are you really Merlin? Forgive me if we talked about it last night, I was somewhat…in shock." Sirius said apologetically.

Merlin smiled at him. "It is understandable, but no, we did not talk about it. To answer your easier question, yes I am Merlin. I'm not just a wizard who fancies the name, so yes, I'm the real one. Some people would call what I have achieved immortality, but I prefer to call it longevity. After all, where would I be if the earth exploded? No can really live forever." Merlin said with a chuckle.

Sirius chuckled also, but he still looked unconvinced. "I'm sorry, but I just can't believe you are _really_ Merlin. I just…I'm sorry."

"It is all right Sirius. I know it will take time for you to believe that. Now, let's move on to why I rescued you from Azkaban. I know some people will not agree with me, but I do not believe in withholding important information from someone, and if we are going to heal your mind, you need to know the truth. Tell me, what do you think about being free? Do you think you deserve it?"

Sirius shook his head sadly. "I like being free, but I don't think I deserve it. I killed my best friend and his wife, and I let my Godson down."

Merlin studied him for a moment. "Sirius, how do you think you killed Lily and James?"

Sirius sighed heavily, and buried his head in his hands. "I convinced them that the rat, our other friend Peter, would be a better secret keeper than me since I was the obvious choice. Peter betrayed us all, and it wasn't until that night that I realized what a mistake it was. I killed them."

"So you went to their house, drew your wand, and killed them?" Merlin asked.

"No, but…"

"Then you didn't kill them." Merlin said gently. "You made a mistake Sirius. Anyone could have done that. I probably would have made the same choice. It was logical, and it, at the time, seemed like a brilliant plan, but you didn't kill them. Peter betrayed you all, and he is the one responsible."

"I still feel like it's my fault." Sirius mumbled.

"All right, we will come back to that. Now tell me, how did you let your Godson down?"

"I wasn't there for Harry. I gave him to Hagrid, who told me Dumbledore wanted to check him over, and I went after Peter. When I confronted him, he blew up the street and killed those muggles. I don't know whether he died in the explosion, or if he escaped. All I know is, that I was chucked into Azkaban without a trial and left there to rot. If I hadn't gone after Peter, I could have been there for Harry. By the way, do you know him? How is he? Is he at Hogwarts yet?" Sirius asked, looking hopefully at him for any news about Harry.

"I have never met Harry personally, but I do know of him." Merlin answered, pulling out a photograph.

It was the picture of Salazar standing beside a snake statue in the Slytherin common room. He was holding up Nora and smiling, though he looked a bit tired and annoyed. Sirius stared at the picture in shock, and took it from Merlin with a shaky hand.

"He's in Slytherin?" Sirius asked in astonishment. "And is he holding a snake?"

Merlin chuckled lightly. "Yes, but tell me Sirius, do you know the people in this picture?" Merlin asked, holding up another picture.

This picture was of a couple with two children. The woman had red hair and green eyes, and the man had unruly black hair that was untamable and he was wearing glasses. The two children looked exactly alike, except one was much smaller than the other. They were wearing muggle clothes, and looked like they had been hiking because they were standing on a hill looking out over the ocean. It also looked like they hadn't known that their picture had been taken.

Sirius stared at the picture in shock, but then his face grew dark and he glared at Merlin.

"Is this some kind of a joke?" He asked, with his voice growing dangerously cold with anger.

"No Sirius, it's not." Merlin said calmly, taking both pictures and laying them on the table side by side. "Do you see this picture here?" He asked, pointing to the picture of Salazar. "This is not Harry Potter. This is one of my dearest friends, and his name is Salazar Slytherin."

Sirius's eyes grew wide with shock, but Merlin continued before he could ask a question.

"In this picture, Salazar is standing here." He said, pointing towards the smaller boy in the family photo. "And yes, Lily, James, and Harry know exactly who he really is. You see Sirius, the day before Voldemort showed up in Godric's Hollow, Salazar went there and told the Potters that Peter had betrayed them and he sent them to another country so that they would be safe. There was no time to tell anyone about the plan because Salazar had only one day to come up with it in the first place, but he also told the Potters not to say anything to their friends." He said with a sigh. "I didn't even know about it until last year when another friend of mine told me that Salazar had made contact."

"But what happened? Why does he look like Harry?" Sirius asked.

Merlin went on to tell him the whole story, and even showed Sirius a few more photographs of this past summer, including some from the real Harry's birthday, though they were taken from far away. He even told Sirius about the 'adventures' of last year, and all that Salazar had endured because of Albus and Voldemort. He would not tell Sirius where the Potters were though, only that Salazar had sent them to a different country. He also told Sirius that no one knew about his situation with the Dursleys until last year, and explained about Peter being at Hogwarts.

By the time Merlin was finished, they had already been served dinner, and Sirius was in another state of shock, but managed to eat his meal. Whimsy was just taking the plates away when Sirius finally looked at Merlin and nodded.

"I still don't think you are the real Merlin, but I can't deny that Lily and James are alive." Sirius said softly, looking at a picture of James, Lily, Harry, and Salazar, as the real Harry blew out his birthday candles. "What do we do now?" He asked.

"First, we need to heal your mind, and I'll be working with you on that. Being in Azkaban is not good for anyone, especially an innocent man. Secondly, we need to keep you safe and hidden until we figure out what to do. I admit, getting you out of Azkaban was spur of the moment. However, I don't want you to think that I broke you out of one prison just to put you in another. You'll need fresh air and room to move around in. That is why living with me is ideal because you'll have plenty of space here, but the wards _will _bounce you back if you get to close to the edge. I do this for your safety as well as my own. The only people who can get here are only those who know I'm still alive. When you are ready, and the rest of us figure out what to do, we will work on getting you that trial. You are free to roam around and do what you wish, but you cannot leave the property."

"I understand." Sirius said taking a deep breath. "James, Lily, and Harry are alive though, and I know I'll see them again one day when all of this is over, so I can do this. I understand I cannot have contact with them because it would put them in danger, but I can live with that. I think just _knowing _that they are alive and safe will be a big help. As for trading one prison for another, I do not think that. This is a lot better than Azkaban. I have fresh air, sunshine, and life all around me."

"Then we are off to a good start my friend." Merlin said with a sincere smile.

Sirius nodded and chuckled. "Does the Ministry know I'm gone yet?" He asked.

Merlin laughed loudly. "Yes, and so does Salazar by now, but I have already owled him the details."

"Owl?" Sirius asked. "What about your phoenix?"

"Oh, Nehum is not mine unfortunately. Bonding with a phoenix seems to be the one thing I have never been able to do, but I did borrow him from a friend. This however, was this morning's _Daily Prophet_." Merlin chuckled, as placed the paper in front of Sirius.

* * *

**_SIRIUS BLACK ESCAPES AZKABAN!_**

That was the headline that greeted Salazar that morning at breakfast, and all he could do was stare at it opened mouthed, with his fork paused halfway to his mouth. The great hall was abuzz with the news, and up at the Head table several people were concerned.

Minerva and Severus were concerned because one look at Salazar's face told them he had no idea what was going on. Albus was in a near panic because not only did he not have a Defense Professor, but he had to deal with this too.

He had already had strong words with Minerva and Severus over the Lockhart situation, and he had told them he couldn't teach Defense because he had other responsibilities, but they seemed unconcerned and unapologetic. They reminded Albus that he had wanted to expose Lockhart, and they did. Albus had argued that he didn't want that to happen until the end of the year, but they still didn't care because what is done is done.

This morning though, Albus had sat in his place at the head table staring at the _Daily Prophet_ in shock. He could already hear Fudge screaming for advice, and Albus really, really didn't want to have to hear it.

He obviously didn't know why Sirius escaped, but all Albus could think of was, that Sirius had escaped to finish what his Master started eleven years ago, and that meant he was coming after Harry. He also needed to find a new Defense Professor, but now because of Sirius's escape, he had an idea on who that could be.

* * *

Salazar had spent all day in a haze. Everyone knew what Sirius had been accused of, and all day he could hear whispers that Sirius had escaped to find him and kill him. He knew this was not true of course, but Salazar's problem was that he didn't know where Sirius was, or how and why he had escaped.

He had already told Fred and George to keep an even closer eye on 'Scabbers' to make sure he didn't run and the boys said they would, and he had even argued with Severus just so he could get detention, so that he would have a chance to sit and talk with him.

Needless to say, it had been an all-around bad day for everyone.

Thankfully the problem was solved at dinner that night when a beautiful eagle owl swooped into the great hall carrying a letter. At first he thought it was Malfoy's owl, so Salazar didn't pay it much attention, but he was startled when it landed in front of him. He took the letter and quickly began to read it.

_I know we haven't spoken in eleven years, but I also realize that it isn't entirely your fault, seeing as you were stuck with the Dursleys and you were very busy this past year. Nicholas told me everything about it. _

_I just want you to know that I have him, and will be telling him everything. His mind needs to heal after being in there for so long, so I think it is the best way to get him on the right path. Don't worry my friend, I'll take care of him. Please make sure you tell whomever you need to that things are all right, and come see when you can. You know where I am._

_-M._

Salazar breathed a huge sigh of relief, and took out a spare bit of parchment and quill to scribble a quick reply.

_I am relieved to know this! Thank you my friend, and I am so sorry that I have not been by to see you. I will come as soon as I get a chance. _

_I have been worried all day about this situation, but I am relieved to know he is with you. Please tell him we know where the rat is, and that we are watching him by using a certain map. I will also let them know as soon as I can, and also please tell him that I may have a way for him to communicate with them through mirrors. He should know what I mean by 'the map' and 'the mirrors'. _

_Take care and I'll see you soon._

_-S._

He quickly tied the note to the owl's leg and it flew off, then he laid his head down on the table and breathed another sigh of relief.

"Is everything ok Harry?" Gordy asked, as he looked at Salazar.

"Yes, a great worry has just been lifted off my shoulders." He answered, as he looked at his plate full of food. He suddenly realized that his appetite had returned, and he dived into his dinner with gusto.

Gordy chuckled as he watched him. "Well I'm glad you have received good news." He said, as he looked at Salazar knowingly.

Salazar's smile faltered a bit as he looked at Gordy, but the young lad just chuckled and finished his dinner. Then he stood up and headed for the doors.

"What was that about?" Blaise asked, as Gordy left the great hall.

"I have no idea." Salazar said, as he studied Gordy's retreating form.

"Well, what are you going to do about Sirius Black? Everyone is saying he broke out to kill you."

Salazar laughed. "I'm not worried about Black. He can't get to me at Hogwarts. It will be all right, you'll see."

"If you say so Harry. Personally though, I would be scared if he were after me." Blaise said with a shiver.

"Well, as I said, it will be all right. Now, I better get going. I still have detention with Snape."

Blaise laughed. "Ok, I hope to see you later and in one piece." He said, as Salazar grinned at him, and headed for the dungeons.

When he got there, he was surprised to see Minerva and Poppy, but he sighed and plopped down in a chair.

"As you all know I have been out of sorts today, but the letter I received at dinner has helped tremendously. A dear friend of mine contacted me to say that he has Sirius." He said with a happy grin.

"You know how he was rescued?" Poppy asked in shock. "I suspect Sirius will need to see a mind healer."

"I don't know how he rescued him, but Poppy, I assure you the man Sirius is with is able to help him much more than we could."

"What is his name?" Minerva asked.

Salazar sighed and shook his head. "I'm so sorry, but I cannot tell you that. I am under an Unbreakable Vow never to reveal his continued existence to anyone who doesn't already know. The good news is that Sirius is safe, well taken care of, and we don't have to worry about him."

"Lily and James will be happy to know this." Severus said with a nod.

"Yes they will." Salazar said, and pulled the mirror out of his pocket.

For the rest of the 'detention', Salazar filled the Potters in on everything that had happened. James said that he would send a mirror for Salazar to give to Sirius, and Salazar assured him that it would get to him. Lily burst into tears, and told Salazar to tell Sirius that they are so sorry that there was nothing they could do for the last year, and Salazar said he would.

By the time his detention was over, Salazar felt like another weight had been lifted off his shoulders, but there was still something nagging him. How did Merlin know that he had been thinking about an Azkaban breakout? Salazar had been telling Nicholas everything, but he hadn't been able to tell Nicholas about that yet, so how did he find out?

Salazar sighed as he lay in bed that night. It seemed like when one problem was solved, two more took its place, and he didn't like it.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon the day before Halloween, and it had been a few days since the news of Sirius's escape. Albus was sitting in his office with his head resting in his hands. He had just got back from a meeting with Fudge, whom he had told his suspicions on why Black had escaped, but he had not thought that Fudge would send the Dementors to Hogwarts. He had told the Minister that the school was well protected, but Fudge had insisted and now Albus was going to be stuck with over a hundred dementors patrolling the grounds.

He was not having a good week.

The castle's warnings were getting stronger by the day, and he was still no closer to figuring out what was going on. He had cornered Harry at every opportunity to see if he was up to something, but so far the boy hadn't done a thing. Albus knew that a very dark object was inside the castle and he knew it was active, but what it actually was, he didn't know.

Albus knew Harry had to be responsible though. The boy was too much like Tom and that unsettled him. 'Traveling' was what Tom had been doing before he descended deep into the dark arts.

_Could that be what Harry is doing as well?_ Albus thought as he sat behind his desk. _Is he looking into the dark arts? The boy knows too much about them as it is, and I can't have him gaining anymore knowledge about them._

Albus sighed again, but a smile appeared on his face as a knock sounded at his door. His, hopefully, new Defense Professor had just arrived. Albus knew that if he played this meeting right, that it would go his way.

"Come in!" He called out, and smiled his best grandfatherly smile as a man in shabby robes entered his office. "Ah Remus Lupin! So good to see you again!" He said happily.

"Hello Albus." Remus said with a small smile. "I was surprised to get your owl, what is it that you wanted to speak to me about?"

"Well," Albus said with a sigh. "As you know, Sirius has escaped and I'm in need of a new Defense Professor. I was hoping that since you are well skilled in Defense that you would be willing to take the job." He said, deciding to get right to the point.

Remus looked slightly taken aback, and his smile faltered a bit. "What does taking the job have to do with Sirius?" He asked, as he sat down in one of Dumbledore's arm chairs.

"I have come to believe that Sirius broke out of Azkaban to come after Harry." He said gravely, and Remus's face took on a look of shock and fear. "You are well skilled in Defense against the Dark Arts, and you know Sirius. I think if you take this job, that you can help to protect him."

"Does Harry know that Sirius broke out to come after him?" Remus asked with alarm.

Albus shook his head. "No, I have instructed the other Professors to not say a word to him. He is just a boy and needs to concentrate on his studies. He does not need to be weighed down by this burden."

Remus nodded in understanding. "How is Harry? What is he like?" He asked, hoping that the Headmaster will tell him something, anything, about him.

Albus sighed heavily. He knew it was now or never, and he needed Remus to accept the Defense position. "Truth is Remus, I'm worried about him. He is in Slytherin, not Gryffindor liked we had all hoped, and I'm afraid that some of the darker families may be influencing him. He knows things about the dark arts that he should not. He also has beliefs and ideals that I feel are not proper, and he has used blood magic."

"What!" Remus shouted in surprise as he leapt out of his seat. "Blood magic! That can't be!"

"I'm afraid it is." Albus said in a solemn tone as he shook his head. "He's a very bright and powerful boy, but he is also a Parselmouth, just like Voldemort was. I do not think he is dark though." Albus said quickly, as Remus's eyes widened in horror. "He just needs to be influenced in the right ways."

"He's…he's not…evil, is he?" Remus asked, slowly sinking back down in his chair.

"No he's not evil." Albus answered with a smile. "The situation is promising. Most of his friends are in Gryffindor and one is even a female muggle-born, but I fear that is not enough. I will be honest Remus, I am hoping that you take this job so that you can be a positive influence on him. I hate to say this…but, you are a link to his parents and I'm hoping that Harry will look up to you because of that." He said gently.

"What about my condition?" Remus asked in a soft voice.

"Severus Snape is our potions Master, and I know he will brew the Wolfsbane Potion for you. The rest of the staff will be alerted to your condition, but many already know about it, seeing as they are your own former Professors. Your condition is really a moot point Remus, but your knowledge about Sirius and defense against the dark arts is vital. If for some reason Sirius comes here, Harry will need you." Albus said in his best grandfatherly voice.

Remus nodded slowly, but then a hard look came into his eyes. "Severus Snape is a Death Eater Albus. Why is he here?"

"I place my full trust in Severus. He came to me before the war ended. Remus, what I'm about to tell you cannot leave this room, but it was Severus that told me that Voldemort had targeted Lily, James, and Harry. I trust him. We need you here at Hogwarts Remus. Harry needs you because you are the best person to help protect him in this situation."

Remus's eyes widened in shock at Albus's mini-speech, but then he nodded slowly. "I understand. I'll do this for Harry." He said softly. "When do you need me to start?"

"As soon as possible." Albus said with a wide smile. "Today is Friday, so you can take the weekend to move your things in, and Monday will be your first day of lessons."

"All right. As long as you are sure that none of the students will find out about my condition."

"They won't." Albus assured him, as they both stood up. "I'll see you to the entrance hall. I have to go speak with Severus, and he will be in the dungeons."

Remus nodded, and they chatted about different things as they made their way down the grand staircase. When they reached the second floor, they heard loud laughter and shouting coming from an empty classroom.

They found 'Harry', Blaise, Neville, Hermione, Gordy, Colin, and the twins sitting around the classroom, and each one of them was either yelling or laughing about something. Nora was slithering back and forth across a desk talking to Neville. 'Harry's' skin had been changed to red while his hair had been changed to gold. 'Harry' and Gordy were also shouting at each other about something.

"…and yet you are a Slytherin who is advocating for Gryffindor colors! This is treachery!" Salazar shouted at Gordy, as the lad started laughing loudly.

Hermione started giggling. "It's not treachery Harry, you and Nora match!"

"But I am a Slytherin!" He wailed. "I can't walk around looking like this!"

_"Speaker, I like my new red and gold colored fleece warmer. It's getting colder, so now I will stay warm. The red looks good against my shiny black scales."_ She said with a firm nod of her head.

"Fred, George, so help me, I will hex you into oblivion if you don't change my skin and hair back." Salazar said, completely ignoring Nora. The twins just shook their heads and laughed even harder. They had used another prank from the Marauder book, and this spell would not wear off for a week without the counter curse, which of course, only Fred and George knew.

"But red looks good on you and Nora, and you both have gold 'trim'." Neville grinned, as he pointed to Salazar's hair.

Colin laughed and took a picture of 'Harry', who immediately hit the lad with a stinging jinx for doing it.

He just grinned at Salazar. "You'll have to protest this better than that Harry. Gordy said that you secretly like red and gold, so we know you aren't totally against it."

Salazar glared at Gordy, whose eyes were shining brightly with mischief. "Well his information is incorrect." He said firmly. "_I _personally think the sorting hat made a mistake. _Clearly_ Gordy belongs in Gryffindor, not Slytherin."

"That's not true!" Gordy laughed.

_"If you people don't listen to me…I will bite you!"_ Nora suddenly shouted.

Everyone quieted down and turned to look at her, though some were still snickering. She was now on the floor, and was slithering back and forth in front of them.

_"Now that I have your attention,"_ she said, as she glared at Salazar. _"This is how it will be. I like my red and gold fleece warmer, so it will stay that way. Speaker, I had green and sliver all winter last year, so I don't see the harm in it."_

_"Nora, we are not talking about your warmer. We are talking about my skin and hair."_ Salazar answered calmly. _"If you want your fleece warmer sock to be red and gold, that is fine, but I cannot walk around looking like this for a full week."_

Blaise nodded. "I agree. I vote that Nora's warmer stays red and gold if she likes it, but Fred and George must turn Harry's hair and skin back to normal, or at least to a silver and green combination."

"Thank you Blaise!" Salazar shouted happily.

Remus looked at Albus in shock. He didn't know what was being said in Parseltongue, but he recognized the state in which Harry was in. After all, he helped James and Sirius create the spells. "Albus, what is going on?" He asked in a hushed tone.

"Well, it seems that Nora, the snake, happens to like her new red and gold fleece warmer, but Harry doesn't like his hair and skin color." He whispered.

"Can those children speak Parseltongue?"

Albus shook his head. "No, no. They only understand it like I can because Harry taught them last year. Well, except for the two first years." He answered as the children started laughing again, or in Salazar's case, shouting.

"I vote we leave both the way they are." Gordy grinned, and all the Gryffindors laughed.

"I agree!" They all shouted.

"But I'll be stuck like this for a week!" He protested.

"And we will be laughing for a week!" Neville grinned, as the others snickered.

"All of you, except Blaise, are bloody Gryffindors!" Salazar ranted, which made all the Gryffindors start laughing again.

"Not all of us are Gryffindors though." Gordy said with a grin.

"You seem to be an honorary member of Gryffindor." Salazar grumbled, which only made Gordy laugh even harder. Then Salazar sighed and shook his head. "Well I'm not going to talk to any of you for a full week then." He grumbled.

Gordy laughed. "Spoken like a true twelve year old." He said, eyeing Salazar with a grin.

Salazar cast a sideways glance at him and narrowed his eyes, but chose to ignore him. Then he sighed loudly, threw his hands up in the air, and turned to stomp out the room. That's when he noticed Albus standing in the doorway with someone else standing right behind him.

"Headmaster!" He said in shock, and everyone jumped up to look towards the door.

"Hello Harry." Albus said as his eyes twinkled in amusement. "I see there is a difference in opinion for the choice of colors."

"Yes there is, and I think Fred and George need a month's worth of detention." He said, as Fred and George laughed loudly.

"I agree!" Blaise cried. "Especially since Harry's red skin and green eyes makes him look like he's been decorated for Christmas." He laughed, which caused them all to snort.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that." Albus chuckled. "But I can introduce you all to your new Defense Professor. This is Professor Remus Lupin."

Salazar's eyes widened slightly and he heard Fred and George gasp, but they were able to quickly cover their shock.

"It's nice to meet you Professor." Salazar said politely, holding out his hand. "If I may, what house were you in, and would you be able to help me?"

Remus chuckled and shook 'Harry's' outstretched hand. "I was in Gryffindor, so I actually like the colors."

"GAH!" Salazar shouted, and threw up his hands in frustration as all the others started laughing again. "Well there goes any hope of me getting put back to normal. Hogwarts has way too many Gryffindors in positions of authority." He grumbled.

"Is little Harrykins going to be in a bad mood all week?" Fred laughed.

"Yes he is." Gordy said with a grin, which caused Salazar to glare at him again. "But I think we should all watch our backs. I sense a prank war coming on."

"I don't have to watch my back. I'm perfectly safe from Harry's revenge." Blaise announced.

"Yes you are." Salazar said with a firm nod, as the others laughed. "The rest of you however, not so much. Gordy especially because he is in Slytherin. My revenge on him will be slow and painful."

"I doubt that." Gordy laughed, then he turned towards Albus and Remus. "Forgive us for ignoring your presence Professors."

"It's all right Mr. Roffin. I'm just glad to see that you are all having a splendid afternoon." Albus chuckled, as Salazar scoffed loudly which caused the children to start laughing again.

_"We are doing just fine Dumbly. Although Speaker has thrown some sort of a fit, and I don't understand why. My warmer is very pretty. Bushy made it herself."_ Nora said, as she wrapped herself around Neville's wrist.

_"You are being deliberately thick about this, aren't you?" _Salazar asked, turning towards her.

_"Of course I am. I know we mean your skin and hair, but Bottom said it would be fun to see you all riled up, and he was right."_ Nora said with soft hiss.

_"Traitor." _Salazar mumbled.

"I'm so glad you like your warmer Nora, but she is not a traitor Harry." Hermione giggled.

"Debatable." Salazar said, which caused them all to grin.

Albus chuckled, and even though Remus cringed every time 'Harry' spoke in Parseltongue, he smiled at him. Albus told them all that it was nearly time for dinner, and to head to the great hall because he had an announcement to make. Remus excused himself so he could head home and pack, but Albus headed for the dungeons to talk with Severus first.

When they got to the great hall, the children split up and went to their respective tables, but Nora decided to spend dinner with Hermione and Neville, seeing as the twins never sat with the younger children during meals. Since it was Hermione who gave Nora the new fleece warmer, Nora kept praising and thanking her for it. Salazar knew that Nora just wanted to show it off to all the Gryffindors though, and he couldn't help but laugh.

As for the joke the twins played on him, he wasn't angry about it. In fact, he was a bit relieved that they chose him. He knew they wanted to try out the spells in the Marauder book, and it was better that they single him out, rather than some random student. Besides, it proved to be a good distraction from the ever increasing 'doom' that the castle kept placing on him. He began wishing Godric had been able to make the ward better though, so it would be able to actually lead them to the dark object. Salazar had no knowledge of how the ward worked because it had always been one of Godric's secret family spells, so he couldn't rework it even if he tried.

Albus's dinner announcement turned out to be about the dementors, and at that news, Salazar sighed and shook his head. He knew from Albus's tone that the Headmaster didn't want them here anymore than anyone else did. The students looked frightened, the other Professors looked angry, and Salazar couldn't blame them. How could the Ministry send those nasty things here? These children were defenseless against them, and he didn't even know if they would be able to learn the Patronus Charm at such a young age.

When dinner was over, Salazar left the table with a heavy heart and mind. The day's good natured pranks and laughter were long gone now. Blaise seemed to be lost in thought with a horrified look on his face, and Salazar wished that there was something he could do for him. Gordy kept shooting him glances, but then young lad laid a hand on Salazar's shoulder.

"Are you all right my friend?" He asked softly, looking at Salazar with concern.

Salazar shook his head. "No Gordy, I'm not." He said. "How…how can the Ministry send dementors here? I've read that they are nasty things, and…"

"It will be all right. We just need to stay out of their way, and we need to find a way to protect the children from the dementors on a large scale."

"Protect the children?" Salazar asked suddenly, looking at Gordy with a calculating gaze.

Gordy's eyes widened. "I…I…mean…the other children like us. There has to be some kind of spell right?"

Salazar stared at Gordy for a moment, but then he did something he swore he would never do to a child.

He cast a wandless legilimency spell.

He was met by a strong, massive block that was way beyond the capabilities of a child. Gordy gently pushed him out of his mind though, and looked at Salazar with tears forming in his eyes, but Salazar's wand was instantly in his hand, and he pointed it at Gordy's head.

"Who are you?" He growled, as he roughly shoved Gordy into the wall.

The other students that were around paid them no attention, and Blaise had been swept up into the crowd that was making their way into the entrance hall. Gordy just shook his head, looked around, and then looked back at Salazar, whose face was cold with anger.

"Not here Salazar." Gordy whispered as the tears spilled down his cheeks. "Please, not here. It's too complicated to explain."

Salazar's eyes widened in alarm at the mention of his name, and he was about to say something when suddenly they heard lots of screaming coming from the second floor. Both Salazar and Gordy looked in that direction, then back at each other, before they began pushing their way through the crowd of students.

They finally managed to push their way through and they arrived on the second floor. The students that were milling about look terrified, and it didn't take Salazar long to figure out why. There, right beside the out-of-order girl's restroom were words written in blood on the wall.

_The Chamber of Secrets has been opened._

_Enemies of the Heir beware._

Salazar just stared at the wall with his mouth opening and closing like a fish because that wasn't the only thing in the corridor. A first year Ravenclaw with long blond hair, a butterbeer cork necklace, and radish earrings was laying on the floor, stiff as a board.

Salazar's knees buckled underneath him, but Gordy caught him before he hit the floor. A bunch of terrified Professors arrived on the scene and began sending the students to their houses. Albus stood there staring at the wall, then he bent over the girl and started to wave his wand over her.

Gordy began trying to pull Salazar away from the scene, but he wouldn't budge. He just kept staring at the wall, the girl, and then the restroom door.

"Move you old fool!" Gordy growled in his ear. "She's only petrified. Let's get you away from here before that idiot drags you into his office. You are in no condition to answer questions right now!"

Salazar still wouldn't budge. Too much had happened in such a short span of time, and his brain was having a hard time processing it all, so he never saw the stunning spell that hit him.

* * *

***A/N* I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Please let me know what you think, because i think we are finally going to find out who the mysterious Gordy is!**


	24. I Told You So

**Chapter 24**

**I Told You So**

Gordy finally managed to get the unconscious Salazar into a near-by unused classroom. He hated that he had to stun him, but it was the only way to get him to move. He warded the door so that no one would disturb them, but he didn't wake Salazar up just yet. Gordy waited until the noise outside the door subsided before he quietly opened the door to peek out of it. He saw Albus, Minerva, Severus, and Poppy standing above the girl.

_Luna Lovegood._ Gordy thought, as he peeked out of the cracked opened door. _That's her name. I have Charms with her. Poor child._

"Poppy, you and I need to get Miss Lovegood to the hospital wing. Minerva, Severus, I need you two to find Harry. When you find him, bring him to my office immediately. I need to question him thoroughly. "

"Albus! You can't possibly think that Mr. Potter had something to do with this!" Minerva whispered angrily.

"I do Minerva. Hogwarts has been alerting me since the start of term that a very dark, active object has been brought inside the castle. This just confirms what Hogwarts has been trying to tell me. The Chamber of Secrets has everything to do with Salazar Slytherin."

"But that means nothing!" Poppy hissed. "How does that have anything to do with Mr. Potter?"

"Everything." Albus said gravely. "He did nothing but travel this summer, or so he told me, but I think he lied and has been studying more about the dark arts. He found that book written by Salazar Slytherin himself in the common room last Christmas. It mentioned The Chamber briefly, but aside from that book and the green potion that allows anyone to walk through a wall, that Severus was finally able to identify, who knows what else he found."

"Headmaster, while I agree Potter's curiosity tends to get him in trouble, I do not recall the book mentioning where the entrance for The Chamber is located. I also think that if Potter had found something else, he would have turned it over." Severus said. "Also, I do not believe Potter would be able to get his hands on an object so dark that the castle feels the need to warn you. He is too incompetent to accomplish that."

"I still don't understand how you think that a mere boy could do this Albus." Minerva said hotly.

"Because the Chamber of Secrets has been opened by a mere boy before. It happened fifty years ago to be exact, and it appears the Heir of Slytherin has returned…somehow." Albus said, motioning to the words on the wall. "That is why I need to speak to Harry."

"And who is the Heir of Slytherin?" Poppy asked, even though she, Minerva, and Severus already knew the answer.

"I do not know." Albus said, as he gazed at the wall.

Gordy narrowed his eyes, and Minerva started to speak, but a sharp glare from Severus had her biting her tongue.

"Poppy, let's get Miss Lovegood to the hospital wing. Minerva, Severus, find Harry and please bring him to my office."

Gordy watched and waited until Albus and Poppy moved off, but thankfully Minerva and Severus just watched them leave before starting a hushed conversation of their own. When that happened, Gordy threw open the door and jogged towards them.

"Mr. Roffin, has your parents ever told you that eavesdropping is impolite?" Severus asked, at the same time Minerva asked, "Have you seen Mr. Potter?"

Gordy's eyes bounced between the two, but he decided to ignore Severus and answer Minerva.

"Yes ma'am I have. I had to stun him in order to drag him away from the whole scene because he wouldn't budge. I need one of you to get him a calming draught though. He wasn't doing so well when he saw the wall, and I'm afraid that what I have to say may send his mind reeling again." Gordy whispered, as he led them back to the classroom. "Don't worry about Luna though, she is only petrified. Salazar placed blinders on Emeralda as a precaution so that no one would accidently be killed by her."

Minerva and Severus stared at Gordy as they all entered the classroom, but they saw Salazar laying there and Severus went to check on him.

"Mr. Roffin, what are you talking about? Who is Emeralda, and what blinders?" Minerva asked.

Gordy looked at the both of them a bit startled. "Oh, he must not have told you about Emeralda. She's a basilisk, and is Salazar's security for the school. Helga's was the badgers, Rowena's locks down the castle, mine is clay lions that spring up out of the ground. We all had our different…"

"Mr. Roffin!" Severus exclaimed. "First off, you're babbling. Secondly, what do you mean…your protections?"

"I'm sorry." Gordy said with a sigh. "I tend to get long winded when I'm nervous. Do you have a calming draught?"

"Yes, I do. I always carry one in my pocket." Severus drawled, pulling a small phial out of his pocket.

"Good, then I'll wake him up." Gordy said, as he cast the reviving spell over Salazar.

It took a moment, but then Salazar started to stir and he finally opened his eyes. He sat up somewhat shakily, but then he saw Gordy hovering in front of him.

"Gordy, what is the meaning…"

"Stop talking you old fool, and take this before I have to stun you again." Gordy said, snatching the phial out of Severus's hands, and forcing Salazar to drink it.

"What did you just feed to me!?" Salazar hissed. "And who are you!? What happened!?"

"A calming draught, straight from Severus's pocket." Gordy said gently. "I tried to get you away from the scene before that idiot, who fancies himself a Headmaster, noticed you were there, but you were rooted to the floor so I stunned you."

"Who are you?" Salazar growled. "That is the last time I will ask you, and if you evade the question again…I will kill you."

Gordy sighed heavily and sat down in a near-by empty chair. Minerva and Severus backed up a few steps, but that was only because Salazar hand his wand in his hand, and it was pointed at Gordy.

"I do suppose you deserve an answer to that question, but Salazar, lower your wand. We don't need a killing curse bouncing between the both of us. It might ricochet and hit Severus or Minerva." Gordy said, as his eyes flickered to the two Professors.

It was then that Salazar realized that he and Gordy weren't the only two in the room. Minerva looked a bit frightened, but Severus was now standing stock still with his wand also pointed at Gordy.

Gordy looked at the three of them, but then he sighed again. "It started off as a prank. I was going to carry on all year acting like an obsessed 'Harry Potter' fan and then reveal myself to you at the end of the year, but then the castle started sending out the warnings. It was affecting me just as much as it was you, and just being near you was a comfort to me, but I still wanted to keep up with my prank so I didn't tell you. I kept listening to your conversations with Nora though, trying to figure out what you knew about the warnings. After they became really intense, I wanted to tell you so badly, but I had let it go on for so long that I thought you'd be angry at me, so I kept it to myself." He said with a sigh as he looked at the three of them.

Salazar stared at Gordy for what seemed like hours, but he finally lowered his wand and stood up. He slowly made his way towards Gordy, and took the red head's face in his hands and really studied him. His eyes widened in shock and he fell to his knees, but he still kept a lock on those dark green eyes. Salazar wondered how he could have overlooked the obvious for so long.

"Godric." He whispered, as his eyes filled with tears. "You're alive? How? I saw you dead. I was there at…"

"…my funeral. Yes I know. I saw you. It's amazing what a bit of Transfiguration can do to a simple rock. All it needed to do was lie in a coffin." Godric said softly.

"But how? You said you didn't want to live forever." Salazar sobbed, as he clutched at him, hoping that this wasn't a dream. Hoping that he might finally hear those words that he had so longed to hear.

"I know what I said, but I changed my mind after Rowena died. I knew you had gone to a mutual friend of ours, that requires an Unbreakable Vow, to gain your immortality, so I sought him out too and gained it for myself. I hated you Salazar. I hated you for leaving us. I called you selfish. I called you a bastard. I called you pathetic, and I wanted you to suffer for all eternity at my hands for it. I didn't really think the whole thing through though, seeing as I would live forever myself. It's one of the drawbacks of being a hot-headed Gryffindor I suppose." Godric said with a small chuckle.

Even though he had tears streaming down his face, Salazar managed a weak smile. "You bloody Gryffindor." He whispered as he chuckled and shook his head. Then he looked up with a bit of fear in his eyes. "Do you still hate me?" He asked.

Godric shook his head. "No my brother, I do not, but I did for centuries. The hate festered and bubbled and it grew. I sank into darkness and the dark arts, just so I could torture you properly. I even lost Nehum because of it all. I swore our mutual friend to secrecy, and told him not to tell you I was alive until I was ready to find you, but because of that and because he knew what I wanted to do to you, he would never tell me where to find you. He finally found me a hundred years ago though. I had hid from him for the longest time because of what I had become, but he helped me, despite all I had done and gotten myself into. He brought me back to the light and he healed my mind and my soul. You wouldn't have recognized me Salazar. I was not the Godric Gryffindor you knew ten centuries ago." Godric said quietly, but then he shook his head.

"I trashed your good name. I spread rumors about you. I said you did a bunch of horrible things, and that you were an evil dark wizard. I did this all under a disguise though, because I was a coward. It's my fault that history looks at you the way it does. I'm the reason Slytherin house has become what it has. I'm the reason why our houses hate each other." He said as tears spilled down his cheeks.

"When our mutual friend found me, it took nearly twenty years for my mind and soul to both heal, but when they did, I begged our friend to tell me where you were, so I could seek your forgiveness for cursing your name for so long, but he still wouldn't tell me. He told me that it was my burden to find you. At first I was mad at him, but then I realized that finding you myself was the last thing I needed to do before I was fully ready to face you, and I'm glad he did that. I moved to Hogwarts and for the last eighty years I have lived here. When I came back, Nehum found me again and re-bonded with me. It was then that I knew that my soul was finally healed. I returned here hoping you'd return someday, and you finally did last year."

Salazar stared at his best friend. He couldn't believe all that Godric had said. It just couldn't be true! He wanted to lash out and yell at him, but then Salazar remembered that he himself was not perfect. Over his lifetime he also had done many things he was not proud of, but it was time be adults about this and to forgive one another. They did not need to fight about whose fault it was, and accuse each other of this or that. Godric needed him, just as much as he needed Godric. It was time to put the bad past behind them and look forward to the future, but Salazar still had some lingering questions.

"How did you know I was here though, and how do you look so young? I still don't understand." Salazar said, as he finally picked himself up off the floor and sat in a desk in front of Godric.

"Hogwarts welcomed you back just like she did with me. The bells tolled and the castle sang for me just like she did for you. I knew you had returned, but I didn't know why or what was going on. It wasn't until you showed up that night with Nicholas Flamel that I learned what all was happening. I don't know Nicholas personally, and our mutual friend as never said a word about me to him, but I knew who he was. You see Salazar, I live under a Fidelius Charm in that clearing. It's just a small house, but the ward line starts just behind Helga, Rowena, and mine's graves. As you sat there talking to the graves last year I would come out of my house and listen to you. I knew you wanted my forgiveness, so I came up with this silly prank plan because I also wanted your forgiveness. I knew you would have found it funny, and would have laughed yourself silly over it. I told the sorting hat, who was stunned speechless when Minerva placed him on my head, to put me in Slytherin so I could annoy you as much as possible. This prank is my way of saying I forgive you." Godric said with a small smile, but then he continued.

"Our mutual friend also helped me by asking Nicholas to make me a stone. It's a small yellow stone that is about the size of a green pea, and it de-ages me. I keep it embedded in the crook of my arm behind my elbow, but I can take it out and regain my adult appearance if I need to. I knew you wouldn't recognize me as an eleven year old lad, because you didn't know me when I was young."

Salazar laughed and shook his head. "You bloody Gryffindor. Only you could come up with a prank like that."

Godric chuckled too, but then he looked at Salazar with concern. "I need to know if you forgive me for hating and cursing you for all those centuries. I will understand if you don't, and I will go and leave you in peace, but if you forgive me, please tell me. I need to hear you say it."

Salazar looked his best friend, as hopeful tears started to fall from Godric's eyes. Salazar also started to cry, but he nodded his head. "Yes Godric, I forgive you. You're my brother, my best friend, and you always will be. You have my forgiveness. I'm so sorry, for leaving you, Helga, and Rowena behind because of my selfishness. If I hadn't done what I did, none of this would have happened. You were right about everything. Immortality is not what I had hoped. Will _you_ be able to forgive _me_?"

Godric breathed a small sigh of relief, but he looked at Salazar and small smile appeared on his lips. "Salazar, about this immortality thing…I told you so."

Salazar sobbed with relief as he jumped up to pull Godric into a brotherly hug, and the both of them stood there for a long time like that. They didn't care that they were crying, nor did Minerva and Severus, who were also softly weeping tears of joy at the long overdue reunion.

Several minutes passed before the two friends pulled apart with wide smiles, but Salazar looked at Godric curiously.

"Godric, about your name. Gordy whatever Roffin, how did you come up with that?"

Godric laughed. "It was part of the prank. I can't believe that you didn't realize it because I handed it to you on a platter the night at the Start-of-Term feast. Gordy Cigrd Roffin. It's an anagram for Godric Gryffindor. The middle name is just the rest of the letters thrown together to make some sort of sense because I couldn't come up with anything better. The name Gordy has actually grown on me though."

The full weight and realization of all that had just happened suddenly hit Salazar, and he grinned. He now had his best friend back after so many years, and only one thing came to his mind.

"You bloody Gryffindor! I can't believe you tried to prank me!" He laughed, as he swatted Godric around the head. "You just wait. I'm going to get you for this."

"Looking forward to it. By the way, your skin is still red and your hair is still gold."

"I hate you." Salazar mumbled, as Godric burst out laughing, but then he looked at Salazar with a serious expression on his face.

"I need to ask you one last thing, and it's been weighing on my mind all year. Have you gone through all this trouble for me? Was saving the Potters part of your search for forgiveness? I ask because I had a hunch about Voldemort's family line, aside from being descended from you. I found the Potters' family tree during my search. They are my descendants, and the last of my line. Would you really kill off your own family line, just to save mine?"

Salazar looked at his best friend and nodded slowly. "Yes and no. My line needs to die Godric. It is evil, but yours…yours is pure and deserves to live."

"I thought so." Godric whispered. "Thank you Salazar. For all that you have done for my family, but I will not let you carry this burden alone. It's my family, and it's my duty as its head to take care of it. As for your family, it is not my place to tell you what to do with it, but I am here if you want and/or need my help."

"Thank you my friend. Voldemort is evil, and needs to die because of what he has done. He will die by my hand, but I'll need help to do it." Salazar said with a soft smile.

Godric smiled and nodded at his friend, but then he looked towards Severus and Minerva. "You already have good help, and I'm honored to be counted among them. I must say this though, Professor Minerva McGonagall, I have watched you this year and I am proud that Gryffindor House has you for its Head. You are a very brave, kind, and caring woman. It is an honor for me to officially make your acquaintance." He said, as he bowed at the waist.

Minerva blushed a deep red, but bowed her head. "It is an honor for me to meet you Mr. Gryffindor. Thank you for your kind words." She said, as she smiled softly.

Godric grinned at her, and then turned to Severus. "Professor Severus Snape, I also admire your bravery. You may not be a Gryffindor, but you show true Gryffindor traits. I hope that as a Slytherin you don't take offense to me saying that." He said, and Salazar laughed.

"Not at all sir." Severus said with a smile, as he bowed his head slightly. "I apologize if any of my actions towards you have offended you, and I seek your forgiveness if they have."

"None is needed Professor. What I did to Draco Malfoy was wrong, and your punishment was just. I let my temper get the best of me that night, and I should have been more responsible than I was. He is a child and I'm an adult, and I should have handled it differently. You have had no idea who I am, and I know what you have been doing and why. It is all right. However, I'm guessing that Albus is probably wondering what is taking you so long to find 'Harry Potter'." He said with a grin.

Severus and Minerva chuckled, but Salazar groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I have no idea what to do about him Godric. He is a meddlesome old fool, but he has information about Voldemort that I need."

"I am not too happy with his actions either Salazar, but we will get through it. Let's just take it one step at a time. There are more important things to deal with first."

"Yes, while we have been having a happy reunion, Emeralda is apparently running around petrifying students. This is serious, and I need to go talk to _her_ not _Albus_." Salazar said with a sigh.

"On the bright side, at least we know what Lucius has been up too." Severus offered. "The wall says, Enemies of the Heir, which by the way, our dear Headmaster is playing dumb about. He says he doesn't know who the Heir is."

"He's a liar." Salazar said with a scowl. "Because he does know. I think this is also what Dobby has been talking about with the history repeating itself clues, but we need more information to be sure."

"It is. Albus confirmed it when he said this happened fifty years ago." Minerva said. "I do want to warn you though, he thinks you are responsible for this."

"Why am I not surprised?" Salazar said, rolling his eyes. "But it still doesn't tell us what the dark active object is, but I'm guessing whatever it is has something to do with my Chamber and Emeralda."

"I'm thinking you may be right, but let us go talk to Albus before he comes looking for us." Severus said, and they all agreed and headed for the Headmaster's office.

Gordy left them at the gargoyle though, and took the shortcut that was near it back down to the first floor. He did say he was going to check on Blaise because the young lad was probably worried that his two friends had disappeared.

Salazar still had a lot of questions to ask Godric, but he supposed those could be asked later. For now, he was just happy to have his best friend back. It also gave him something to look forward too, and he didn't feel so alone and so isolated. He had Merlin, Nicholas, and Perenelle, but they weren't Godric because no one could replace Godric as his best friend.

Before they went into the office though, Salazar asked Minerva to talk to the twins and tell them about 'Gordy', and also asked her to get Nora for him. Last he knew, she was with Neville and Hermione. Minerva said she would find Nora later, and bring her to him once he was safely back in the Slytherin common room.

It was then that the three of them turned to the gargoyle, sighed with exasperation, and headed up the stairs.

* * *

"I finally found him hiding in a classroom Headmaster. He needed a calming draught because of what he witnessed on the second floor." Severus sneered, as they entered Dumbledore's office.

They all took seats, and Salazar tried to act like a slightly shaken up twelve year old.

_Leave it to Severus to state the truth, and still be able to lead someone to the wrong conclusion. He is a true Slytherin._ He thought, and successfully fought the urge to chuckle. Instead, he shivered and looked around nervously.

Albus studied him for a moment, but Salazar turned his gaze toward Fawkes. He knew of the phoenix from his many trips to Albus's office last year, but this was the first time he actually paid attention to him. Fawkes looked a lot like Nehum, or at least what Salazar remembered Nehum to look like.

Fawkes seemed to be watching him too, but then he took flight and landed on Salazar's knee. The phoenix looked him in the eye, as if to study his soul, but then he thrilled happily, took flight, and settled back down on his perch. Salazar briefly wondered what that was about, and was curious if Fawkes knew about Nehum, but he decided he needed to pay attention to Albus and ask Godric about it later.

Salazar looked up to see Albus staring at him somewhat shocked, but then a stern look came over Albus's face.

"Harry, you saw the second floor? I don't recall seeing you there." He stated.

"Yes sir. I was heading out of the great hall when I heard screaming coming from the second floor. I went to see what was wrong, and I saw what was written on the wall and the girl. I'm not sure who she is, but it scared me though. I read about the Chamber in that book I found in the common room last Christmas, but I have no idea what the message meant about an Heir. Is that girl all right? Is she dead?" He asked, with a slight squeak to his voice.

"No Harry, she is not dead. Miss Lovegood has only been petrified. Tell me, what creature do we know of that can petrify people?" Albus asked.

Salazar schooled his features to make Albus think he was thinking about it, but inside we was raging mad. He knew what Dumbledore was getting at.

"When I was reading about my basilisk hide wand, it said…it said…oh my word…a basilisk. A basilisk can petrify people if they don't look it directly in the eye. You think a basilisk did that?"

"Yes Harry, I do. And seeing as you are a Parselmouth, you are the only one that can talk to it."

"Albus! What are you saying!? Are you saying that Mr. Potter set lose a _basilisk_!?" Minerva shrieked.

Salazar stared crying the tears of an accused twelve year old. "I didn't do this! They kill with one look! I would never risk the life of my friends, or even my own. I didn't do this Headmaster! I swear!" He wailed.

In all honesty, he couldn't blame Albus for jumping to the conclusion that he had. Salazar wasn't exactly secretive about his Parselmouth abilities, but how Albus could accuse a _twelve_ year old for doing this was beyond him.

Fawkes began to squawk angrily and Albus stared at the phoenix again, but then he cleared his throat and glared at Salazar. Before he could speak though, another phoenix appeared in a brilliant ball of flames and landed on Salazar's shoulder.

_Nehum!_ Salazar thought, as he gave the phoenix a brilliant smile.

Nehum glared at Fawkes, and suddenly, the two began squawking loudly at each other. The Professors and Salazar stared at what seemed to be a confrontation between the two, but after a few minutes Fawkes quieted down and seemed to study Salazar again, then he started to sing.

Nehum nipped at Salazar's ear and rubbed his head against his cheek before disappearing. All Salazar could do was stare stupidly at Albus, and hope for an explanation.

"Well Harry, Fawkes was telling me that you were hiding something, but it also seems like an unknown phoenix has taken a liking to you. Do you know why?"

"N-no sir." Salazar said, glancing at Fawkes, who was now sitting on his perch preening his feathers.

"What do you know about phoenixes Harry?" Albus asked.

"Not much." He answered honestly. "I know that they don't like dark wizards though."

"That is true, they don't. I asked Fawkes to look into your soul, and that was what he was doing when he landed on your knee earlier. He confirmed for me that you do, in fact, have a light soul, which I am happy to know. However, before the other phoenix arrived he was telling me that you were hiding something. I do not know what the other phoenix said to Fawkes, but he now appears to be unconcerned about what you are hiding." He said, turning and frowning at the phoenix who was still preening his feathers.

Salazar didn't really know what to say so he just kept quiet about it, but it was Minerva that spoke up.

"Albus, what does it mean when an unknown phoenix suddenly appears out of nowhere?"

"In this case I'm not sure, but normally an un-bonded phoenix will only come to the defense of someone whom they know, and only if that someone is a close friend or shows true loyalty to the one whom the phoenix is bonded too." He said, studying Salazar closely. "Harry, is there something you wish to tell me?"

"I don't have anything sir." He said, looking at Albus with what he hoped to be an innocent look.

Albus sighed heavily. "Very well Harry, you may go."

"Thank you sir." He answered.

Salazar nearly ran from Albus's office because he didn't know what to think at this point. All he knew was that Albus now suspected that he was hiding something, which of course he was, but he was not about to tell Albus that. Salazar just hoped that whatever Albus was thinking he would tell Minerva and Severus about it, so that he could act accordingly.

* * *

"Mr. Potter, I have Miss Nora for you." Minerva called out, as she entered the Slytherin common room.

Some of the other Slytherins glared at the Gryffindor Head as she scanned the common room, but Salazar jumped up and gratefully ran to her. He had been sitting with Godric and Blaise discussing what happened on the second floor. Blaise was upset to learn that he had been separated from his friends and was worried when he couldn't find them.

Salazar had been telling both Godric and Blaise what happened in Albus's office, and even mentioned the 'unknown' phoenix who came to his defense. Godric's eyes lit up and he grinned, but didn't say anything about it.

"Thank you Professor!" He exclaimed when he reached her. "I know you didn't have to get her for me, but thank you!"

"You're welcome." She said with a smile, but then she leaned towards him and whispered, "Albus still thinks you did it, despite what the phoenixes did."

Salazar narrowed his eyes, but sighed and nodded his head. "I'll figure something out."

She nodded and left the common room, but Nora turned to him.

_"Speaker, Kitty told me that Jolly is not who he says he is. Are you in danger? Shall I bite him?" _She angrily.

_"No my dear. This is a good thing." _He said, then he held her close and whispered, _"Gordy is Godric."_

She turned sharply to look at him, but then she nodded. _"This is wonderful news Speaker. I am very happy now."_

_"As am I my dear."_

For the rest of the night, they sat in the common room and talked with Nora. Godric had to pretend that he couldn't understand Parseltongue, so Blaise and Salazar translated. Blaise suggested that 'Gordy' learn it. Godric declined, but Salazar kept insisting that he 'learn' it so Godric finally agreed. To Salazar, it would be a good idea, especially because it would provide an excuse to talk about the problems that were happening.

Nora told them that some of the Gryffindors liked her new fleece warmer, but Carrot didn't appreciate it and threatened to kill her. Ron had been so angry and vocal about Nora being in the common room that Hermione finally had to take Nora to her dorm, until Minerva came and got her.

Salazar really didn't know what to say about Ron's behavior so the subject was dropped. All he knew was that Ron seemed different this year. He was angry and more withdrawn, but Salazar just chalked it up to the changes that all twelve year olds go through.

When he finally got settled into bed that night, Salazar could only think about getting into the Chamber to talk to Emeralda. He knew that Albus was going to be watching him closely, especially now, but he needed to find out how and why Emeralda was suddenly moving around the school. She was put down there to protect the school from muggles, not to go around attacking the children.

The only person who could control her was another Parselmouth, but he and Voldemort were the only two who could speak it. Was Voldemort here? Did he possess someone else? It was the only thing Salazar could think of, but who and how? It was going to drive him crazy until he figured it out.

But at least he had Godric.

Salazar smiled to himself, and rolled over as he lay in his bed. He never would have guessed that would happen. He felt a little ashamed of himself though, because a part of him was glad that Godric had made that mistake. He knew Godric had probably done some really evil things, especially things bad enough to make Nehum leave him, but Salazar was glad that he had. It was selfish, and he knew it, but it was just how he felt. He knew it was awful to think like that, but it was the truth.

He sighed as a mixture of sad and happy tears slid down his cheeks. He didn't care that Godric had trashed his name and reputation. He didn't care that Godric had spread lies about him. Salazar knew in his heart that if he hadn't left his friends in the first place, none of it would have happened. He didn't fault Godric, but that selfish part of him was still glad that Godric had made his own mistakes because he now had his best friend back. He had heard the words that he had so longed to hear, and it was those words that echoed around in his head as he cried himself to sleep.

I told you so.

* * *

***A/N* Gordy is Godric! So many of you figured it out right from the start, and i thought i was being clever with my little anagram! **preciousann pouts dramatically** You guys are just to smart for me! LOL **

**Ok now that Gordy's secret is reveled i can answer some of your questions. No, Helga and Rowena will not be in this story. They are really dead. Godric is the last immortal to appear, so there will be no more of them showing up. He technically wasnt supposed to be reveled until the end of the year, but i decided to go ahead and do it because i thought you all would get upset at me for dragging it out. There will be more of Remus and Sirius in the next chapter, so no one worry. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review and let me know what you think!  
**


	25. Into the Chamber

**Chapter 25**

**Into the Chamber**

Shortly after lunch the next day, every resident of Hogwarts stood at every available window and watched the arrival of the dementors. Older students looked just as terrified as the younger ones as the ghastly beings, along with a deathly chill, descended over the castle and grounds. The dementors were not allowed inside the grounds though, they were only allowed to patrol outside the protective enchantments. However, regardless of where the dementors were not allowed to be, no one would be going outside today.

One particular resident of Hogwarts, Remus Lupin, stared out of his new office window with a forlorn expression on his face. He was confused about a lot of things. Albus had told him about the dementors and why they were coming here, but he just couldn't bring himself to believe that Sirius would come here to harm Harry. Eleven years ago, Sirius supposedly betrayed Lily and James to Voldemort. He was their secret keeper, but Remus couldn't bring himself to believe that Sirius would willingly betray them.

He. Just. Couldn't.

_We were such good friends._ Remus thought as a tear slid down his cheek. _There is no way that Sirius could have…that Sirius could have…_

He shook his head, and turned away from the window. It was the same inner struggle he had had for the last eleven years, and he could never bring himself to believe it. There was no evidence, and even Remus knew there had been no trial, but given his condition, he couldn't demand a trial for Sirius. He just knew that there had to be more going on here than what it seemed.

During that time, Albus had not been Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, but even after he took the position, Albus didn't see the need for a trial.

"What's done is done," Albus had said, "and there is no sense in drudging up history because the obvious conclusion is that Sirius betrayed them."

Remus shook his head again as he began to sort through his things and get his office in some sort of order. He had never agreed with that reasoning, there had to be more to it than that, and now he was ashamed that he had let Sirius sit in Azkaban all these years, but no one would have believed what a werewolf had to say. Remus just hoped that if Sirius was really on his way to Hogwarts, that he would be able to find him, and hopefully, finally, get the real truth.

Then there was Harry's situation.

Remus couldn't believe that he was in Slytherin. That had come as a complete shock, and Albus had already filled him in on what happed last night and told him what he thought about the Chamber of Secrets. Harry was only twelve years old though, and there was no way he was involved!

Remus had spent the last eleven years away from Harry because Albus had told him that he was well taken care of. Albus also hadn't wanted Harry to learn that he was wizard, because Albus was afraid that the fame to go to the young lad's head. Remus understood that, but he didn't agree that it was the best thing to do, especially because Harry was with the Dursleys. He _knew_ how Petunia and Vernon felt about magic. He had heard Lily talk about her sister a few times, but Albus didn't want another James Potter on his hands. Remus hated that reasoning with a passion, but again, there was nothing he could do about it. Granted, James was an arrogant little piece of work, but in the fifteen months that Remus had known Harry when he was a baby, he always believed that he favored Lily more, but Albus had insisted that his way was the best.

But now…but now Albus was saying that Harry was into the darks arts, and had dark families influencing him, but again, something just wasn't adding up. If that was the case, then why was Harry friends with a bunch of Gryffindors, and a muggle born no less!

He had only seen Harry for a brief moment, but in that brief moment he learned something. He learned that Harry couldn't be dark. He had been pranked by some Gryffindors it seemed, and truthfully, he hadn't seemed all that upset about it. To Remus, a dark evil Slytherin would not have put up with that.

Remus had to admit that the Parseltongue made him uneasy, but he also knew that did not automatically make Harry evil or dark. After all, he himself was a werewolf and people would automatically think that he would rip them to pieces, but he would never do that. Well, in human form anyway, but the way Albus had been going on about Harry though, one would think he was the next dark wizard.

An audible growl could be heard from the new Defense Professor as he put away some books on his bookshelf.

_Albus, Albus, Albus. Albus said this, Albus said that. Albus believes this, Albus believes that. Albus, Albus, Albus._ Remus thought bitterly, as he snatched up another stack of books to be put away. _Something isn't right here. My instincts tell me that there is more here than what there seems, and I will seek out the truth!_

* * *

_Dear Salazar Slytherin,_

_I know he have never met, but my name is Sirius Black. I never thought I would say this about you, or any Slytherin for that matter, but…._

"No, no, that isn't right." Sirius mumbled, as he crumpled up the letter and tossed it aside. He sighed, and reach for a fresh sheet.

He was sitting next to the fireplace in Merlin's large brightly lit library, trying to come up with a way to express his thankfulness for everything that had happened, but he just couldn't seem to find the right words.

_Dear Salazar,_

_My name is Sirius Black, and I never thought I would be writing to the famous Founder of Sly…._

"No, that's not right either." He said with another sigh. "That makes me sound like an obsessed fan girl or something."

"That or an eight year old." Merlin chuckled from the doorway.

Sirius glanced up and sighed once more. "Are you using legilimency on me again?" He asked in a curt tone.

"Yes, and I know it seems like an invasion of your privacy, but it helps me to help you. Your mind is not as far gone as I had feared, but it still needs to heal."

"I think just being away from that place helps a lot." Sirius said with a small smile. "I know I feel better than I have in a long time. I'm sorry I snapped though. I know you're only doing it to help me."

Merlin nodded. "Being away from the dementors is only a start, but good food and a clean stable environment has a lot to do with it too."

"Not to mention, knowing that my friends are alive and well." Sirius said with a chuckle.

Merlin smiled at the young man. "Yes, that too I think, but your nightmares are still happening every night and your eyes are not as…alive, if you will…as they should be. You also seem to be carrying around a large weight of some kind. Maybe some kind of burden?" He asked.

Sirius stared into the fireplace as a faraway, haunted look came into his eyes. "Maybe." He answered quietly.

Merlin studied the young man a moment, but then he reached into his pocket. "Well, I have news, and I thought you might like to hear it. It's a letter from Salazar and he says they are keeping an eye on Pettigrew via some kind of a map, and also that he has spoken to both James and Lily. He says that there is a way for you to talk with them, through mirrors?" He asked questioningly. "Salazar says you may know what that means."

Sirius's eyes lit up and he grinned. "Yes!" He exclaimed. "I know exactly what he means!"

Sirius went on to explain what the map and the mirrors were, and by the time he was done Merlin was watching the excited man with a smile on his face. Sirius was interrupted though, as Nehum suddenly appeared in a ball of flames with a letter in his beak. Merlin took it, and began to read.

_~M._

_The dementors were sent, by the Ministry, here to Hogwarts because of Sirius's escape. This was done because Albus thinks Sirius is on his way here to finish off 'Harry', but Salazar and I don't think that Albus wants them here anymore than we do. Speaking of Salazar though, he knows. We have forgiven each other, and I have never felt better. Thank you for all that you have done for me. It was well worth the wait, even if my prank didn't work out like I had hoped. (But more about that in another letter.)_

_Salazar and I are working on a way to rework the ward I set forth all those years ago, so that we can actually find this dark object, but I don't know if we will be successful. We do know what Lucius Malfoy was up to though. Someone has opened Salazar's Chamber and has set Emeralda loose. Salazar has not been able to get down there to speak with her yet, but he hopes to soon. _

_In other news, Remus Lupin is now the new Defense Professor, and he is an old friend of Sirius and James, so please let Sirius know that. We will be watching him closely to see if it is safe enough tell him about what is really going on, though Salazar doesn't want to. He feels that too many people know as it is, but James, Lily, and Minerva are saying that we should. They say it's not fair for Remus not to know. I agree with them, but what are your thoughts on this matter?_

_Severus is a little uncertain about Remus being here, but that is only because he is a werewolf. Salazar says that it doesn't matter, and I agree with him, as long as he drinks Wolfsbane when the time comes. Severus is willing to play nice though, as long as Remus doesn't hurt anyone. James says it has more to do with Sirius trying to feed Severus to Remus when they were students, so you might want to ask Sirius about that._

_Send Nehum back as soon as you can. We need him to fetch the mirrors from James as soon as he has them ready._

_~G._

Merlin was both happy and concerned after he read the letter, but then he looked at Sirius with a questioning gaze.

"Did you try to feed one of your classmates to a werewolf when you were a student?" He asked.

Sirius shifted around uncomfortably and that haunted look entered his eyes once more, but he nodded. "Yeah. It was a stupid thing to do, but he should have kept his nose out of other people's business." He said defensively.

"While I agree that is probably true, you should not have done that." Merlin said, as he handed the note to Sirius.

Merlin watched as Sirius read the note. He turned pale and his hands started shaking right away, but his color had somewhat returned as he finished.

"Who is 'G'? He asked.

Merlin smiled and went on to tell Sirius about Godric, and the prank he tried to play on Salazar. Sirius found the whole thing hysterical, but began asking questions about other pranks they had played.

Merlin chuckled as he remembered one particular incident.

"As you know, I attended Hogwarts at the age of six hundred years old and was sorted into Slytherin, and Salazar told me that he had invented a potion that would allow someone to walk through walls. Well, one day Salazar dared Godric to sneak up on Rowena Ravenclaw and scare her." He said with a chuckle.

"Now, you have to keep in mind that Rowena was a formidable witch and she was not easily frightened, but that night, Godric snuck into her personal chambers by using Salazar's newly created potion. He waited, unseen, until she had settled in for the night, then he suddenly leapt into view with a loud cry. Rowena screamed and leapt out of bed and began hexing Godric, who tried to run out the room through the wall. Unfortunately for him though, the potion had mostly worn off by that time, and Godric became stuck in the wall with his backside still in Rowena's living chambers. Rowena took great pleasure in hexing his backside, but Salazar, who had been waiting outside of Rowena's chambers, finally went to save him. Salazar drank his potion and walked through the wall until he found Godric, who was by that time in a lot of pain and starting to panic, and had him drink more of the potion. Then Salazar pulled him into the corridor." Merlin said as he laughed loudly.

"Rowena stormed out of her chambers, and found the both of them laying in the corridor laughing themselves silly, but they had to run for it because Rowena was not exactly happy with them. She hexed them all the way down the corridor, until they disappeared into another wall. She didn't speak to either of them for nearly a week, BUT because of that incident, something remarkable happened. The shortcuts throughout Hogwarts were created." He said with a chuckle. "It's amazing what the result can be when something does not go according to plan."

Sirius laughed loudly and had tears running down his face as Merlin finished his story, but he wiped them away and looked up at the ancient wizard.

"Whose idea was it to use the potion to make the shortcuts?" He asked, as he laughed again.

"Well, that would have been Helga. You see, Helga was always the one to think outside the box, so to speak, and she used that incident to come up with a plan. I do believe that they used mild blasting curses to make the tunnels though, because loud booms and bangs could be heard coming from inside the walls for weeks." Merlin said as he chuckled lightly. "Living at Hogwarts in those days was something else. You never knew what Salazar and Godric were going to do next, or Rowena's reaction to them. She was always yelling at them about something or another, but Helga would always take Salazar and Godric's side and tell Rowena that life would be boring if it weren't for the two of them. In the end, Rowena always had to agree with her. The Founders, all them, loved each other dearly."

"So why did they end up hating each other?" Sirius asked. "Salazar and Godric I mean."

Merlin suddenly looked down at his hands, and shook his head as a frown appeared on his face. "Sirius, I'm afraid that is not my story to tell. Although, I hate to admit that I played a big part in it. Perhaps we should leave that for another day. For now, let's focus on happier times."

Sirius nodded slowly. "I understand." He said quietly, but then he smiled as he caught sight of the letter that he had been trying to write.

Merlin saw him gazing at it, and he also smiled. "Sirius if I may, perhaps it isn't Salazar you should be writing to, but another Slytherin who is risking his life to keep your friends safe."

Sirius slowly looked back towards Merlin and nodded. "You're right." He said quietly. "Admitting my past mistakes is one of the steps to healing my mind, right?"

Merlin nodded. "That is correct. I'll leave you to it then." He said, as he gently patted Sirius on the shoulder and left the room.

Sirius reached for another fresh sheet of parchment and began to write.

_Dear Severus…_

* * *

"Are you sure about that? Because that goes against everything I have read about the man." Hermione said, as she glared at Fred.

Fred sighed and shook his head. "Trust me Hermione, Salazar Slytherin didn't hate muggle borns. He would not create the Chamber of Secrets to kill them all or to scare them away from Hogwarts. I don't care what Draco Malfoy says, but he is wrong."

"But Malfoy said that Muggle borns would be next." Neville whispered.

It was late afternoon on Halloween, and the twins, Neville, Hermione, and Colin were sitting in the Gryffindor common room discussing the number one topic of the day at Hogwarts, The Chamber of Secrets. Rumors were flying all over the school about the Chamber, what it was for, and what kind of dark scary monster lay within it.

Hufflepuff house was convinced that it was a torture chamber, Ravenclaw house was convinced that it held books filled with knowledge of the darkest of the dark arts, and Gryffindor house was convinced that it was a mixture of the two. All three of the houses however, just knew that the monster that lay within it was going to kill them all. Every member of Slytherin house on the other hand, was walking around the school with smug smirks plastered on their faces.

These rumors were currently being fanned by Ron, who was at the moment, loudly advocating that he knew who had opened the chamber, and it was 'that sneaky, slimy, evil, Slytherin Harry Potter'. Thankfully though, no one was paying attention to him at the moment. Unfortunately however, that only seemed to make Ron even angrier.

"I'm telling you he opened the Chamber!" Ron shouted over the hum of conversation in the common room. "It's all Harry Potter's fault! He's a Slytherin _and_ a Parselmouth! He's evil! Don't you see!?"

"Ron, for the last time, Harry is not involved, and you know bloody well that Salazar Slytherin didn't create the Chamber to kill muggle borns!" George yelled at him. "The Bloody Baron is a muggle born! You know that!"

That declaration brought all conversation to a screeching halt, and all eyes landed on George.

"It's true." Percy stood up and said. "During Christmas last year, Harry found a book written by Slytherin himself in the Slytherin common room. Yes, at first he hated muggle borns, until one day he came across a muggle woman trying to drown her three year old son in a river. He killed the muggle woman, and saved that little boy. It turns out that that three year old muggle born was none other than the Bloody Baron. The Baron told us that story last year during Christmas Holiday. It was after that, that Slytherin realized muggle borns were in more danger from the muggles than the half bloods and pure bloods were. After that, he convinced the other founders to allow muggle borns to permanently stay at Hogwarts during all holidays and the summer, so that they were safe from their muggle relatives."

"What book is this?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I don't know, but Harry has the original book, and Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape both have a copy of it. They are well aware of how Salazar Slytherin had a change of heart about muggle borns." Percy said calmly. "The opening of this Chamber has nothing to do with killing them."

"We have seen the book." Fred said. "And it only mentioned that the Chamber was built to protect the school. It did not say where the entrance is, but it did say that the so called monster was a giant snake. The snake was put there _to protect the school from muggles_." He emphasized.

George nodded. "Muggles attacked Hogwarts a lot back then because muggle repelling charms hadn't been invented yet. That whole thing with the Hufflepuff badgers last year was another protection. I'm pretty sure that Ravenclaw and Gryffindor had their own protections too. It's just that Salazar's was a giant snake."

"Then if it is a giant snake, then Potter has done something to it to change it or something!" Ron shouted. "He can talk to snakes! Everyone knows that!"

"He has a point there." Seamus stood up and said. "Potter is the only Parselmouth since You-Know-Who."

"So then Potter _is_ responsible!" Lavender Brown shouted.

"No!" Hermione shouted back. "Harry would never do something like this. You people don't even _know_ him!"

"I don't think Harry had anything to do with it either." Parvati stood and said. "He is really nice and because of his study group last year, I got good grades on my exams. He helped me with potions, and he took his time and explained it all to me. I don't think he would have done this."

"But he is a Parselmouth Parvati!" Lavender shrieked. "If there is a giant snake in the Chamber of Secrets then Potter is controlling it!"

Parvati shook her head. "No, I refuse to believe that."

"Perhaps, we shouldn't have mentioned the giant snake part." Fred whispered nervously to his brother.

"I think you're right George." Fred whispered back, as chaos erupted in the Gryffindor common room.

Shouting could be heard coming from those that supported the idea that Harry was _not_ responsible and those that thought he _was_. The rest just sat there in silence as the shouting match grew louder. It didn't stop until Minerva came in to tell them all to quiet down and head to the Halloween feast.

* * *

The Halloween feast itself was wonderful. The food, as always, was delicious, and Albus took the time to announce that Remus was the new Defense Professor. After that, the Hogwarts choir put on a lovely show and sang songs about different Halloween themes. Some were scary, but some were funny, and a good time was had by all.

The very end of the feast was a nightmare though. Albus stood up with a grave look on his face and loudly cleared his throat. The entire great hall became quiet, and Salazar glanced at Godric, who just shrugged and turned his attention towards the Headmaster.

"It has come to my attention that numerous false rumors about the Chamber of Secrets have surfaced, and I want you all to listen closely to what I have to say." Dumbledore began, and Salazar sighed.

"Let's hope he doesn't mess this up." He mumbled, and Godric nodded.

"The Chamber of Secrets was built by Salazar Slytherin himself. We do not know that much about it, however, what we do know says that Slytherin built the Chamber as a defense for the school to keep Hogwarts safe from the muggles. Slytherin DID NOT build the Chamber to rid the school of muggle borns, as some of you have been saying." Albus said, as he looked towards the Slytherin table with a stern gaze. "If you have questions about that, I suggest you ask the Bloody Baron to tell you his story. Now, to address the rumors about a monster…"

"It's a bloody giant snake!" Ron suddenly jumped up on top of the Gryffindor table and shouted. "Fred and George said so in the common room! They said that a book Potter found in the Slytherin Common room said so! It's Potter! Potter is the one who can talk to snakes! He did it! He killed that girl in the hall! It's all Potter's fault!"

"MR. WEASLEY SIT DOWN THIS INSTANT!" Minerva bellowed from her seat at the head table.

But Ron wasn't paying attention to her. He was in a near hysterical state with his accusations and he looked around the room with a panicky expression on his face.

"IT WAS POTTER! HE KILLED HER! HE KILLED THAT GIRL AND HE USED THAT GIANT SNAKE TO DO IT! HE WILL KILL YOU ALL! HE WILL…"

Ron didn't get to finish, because Minerva shot a silencing spell at him, at the same time Fred (or George) hit him with a stunning spell. Ron landed in a crumpled heap onto the already cleared off table, but everyone just stared at him, and no one made a move to help him because Albus cleared his throat again.

"Miss Lovegood has not been killed." He said calmly, as he gazed out at the clearly frightened student population. "She has only been frightened into a petrified state, but she will be cured soon. Madam Pomfrey has gone to Diagon Alley to fetch some already matured mandrakes, and Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey will begin brewing the antidote tomorrow."

"Is the monster really a giant snake?" One Ravenclaw asked, as she nervously glanced towards the Slytherin table.

"Yes Miss Chang. The monster is a giant snake." Albus confirmed. "Now, I suggest you all be careful as you walk through the corridors. Stay in large groups, and if you see anything, please let a Professor know. Thank you. You may all return to your houses now."

Salazar was fuming as they all made for the door. He could hear whispering all around him and people were pointing and staring. Salazar didn't care that Albus had told the truth about the Chamber, and what lay in it. He didn't care that Albus had mentioned Luna Lovegood and her condition, but what he _did_ care about was the fact that Albus did _NOTHING_ to dispel Ron's hysterical accusations about him, and right now all he wanted to do was hex the idiot.

* * *

"Well, look on the bright side Salazar, at least he didn't come right out and say she is a basilisk." Godric said. "That would have thrown the whole school into a panic and parents would be showing up tomorrow to yank their children out."

It was late in the evening and Godric, Salazar, Severus, Minerva, and the twins were all piled up in Severus's office trying to make sense of the situation. The twins were sitting silently in a corner and staring at the floor. They had already apologized profusely for telling the entire common room that it was a giant snake that lay in the chamber, but Salazar had told them it was fine. He didn't care about that. He was however, still fuming about Albus's lack of opinion on the whole 'Harry Potter is controlling the giant snake' issue.

Ron had been taken back to the Gryffindor common room after dinner, and according to the twins, he had amassed quite the following already because of Albus not addressing the issue.

Salazar sighed heavily. "I suppose your right Godric, but I just can't believe that he would put this much pressure on a 'child'. The entire school is going to be looking at me thinking I'm going to attack them next. The least he could have done was say 'No, I don't think Harry had anything to do with it'."

"It's going to be bad." George said quietly. "Nearly everyone in the common room has sided with Ron now. Percy, Hermione, Colin, and Neville have taken our side of things, but they are outnumbered. As soon as we got back to the common room, Seamus Finnigan pointed out that Dumbledore hadn't denied Harry's involvement. As soon as he said that, nearly everyone jumped on the 'Potter is evil' bandwagon."

"I'll address the House tomorrow morning before breakfast and set them straight." Minerva said with a firm nod. "I'll also ask Albus why he didn't deny Mr. Weasley's accusations, and I'll let you know what he says tomorrow."

Salazar nodded. "Thank you Minerva. I don't rightly care what the school, as a whole, thinks of me, but it's the fact that Albus would let a 'child' go through this kind of ridicule that bothers me. It's just not right."

"So what now?" Severus asked, as he looked toward his mentor.

"Tonight after everyone is asleep, I will head into the Chamber and find out what is going on. The only one who can give me real answers at the moment is Emeralda, and I plan to get them."

The meeting broke up after that, but Salazar could only shake his head. This whole thing was quickly getting out of hand, and Albus, as usual, wasn't helping matters.

* * *

Salazar disillusioned himself, and quietly made his way out of the Slytherin common room, then he quickly headed for the second floor. He slipped into the out-of-order girl's bathroom, and silently made his way to the sink.

_"Open."_ He hissed in a barely audible whisper.

He stepped back as the sink began to sink into the floor, and he peered into the blackness below and sighed. When they updated the plumbing for the school, they really did major damage to the entrance for the chamber, and it looked like his stairs were now gone. The opening was now a large slimy pipe, and it looked like he was going to have to rebuild the stairs.

Salazar sighed, then began the long trip to the bottom.

With each step he had to build, he started to grow even angrier. What was Albus thinking? Was this punishment for not listening to the great and wise Albus Dumbledore? If so, it was petty and not something Salazar would expect from the Headmaster.

When he finally reached the bottom, he sighed with relief and looked around. This part of the chamber was still as he remembered it. He walked the few hundred feet to the door, and studied it. It did look like it had been opened recently.

Salazar sighed and shook his head, but then he looked at the snakes on door.

_"I am Salazar Slytherin, Founder of Hogwarts and creator of the Chamber of Secrets. The password is 'open'."_ He said.

The main snake turned its head and nodded slightly, then all the snakes on the door began to move, and the Chamber opened. He breathed deeply and smiled as the old familiar musty smell of the Chamber assaulted his nose. As crazy as it sounds, out of all the things that had changed at Hogwarts, he was glad that that one small thing had not.

He made his way to the front, then stared at his own statue before him, raised his head up, and spoke with authority.

_"Emeralda, come forth."_

His statue's mouth began to open, and Salazar instinctively turned his back. He heard as Emeralda moved out of the statue, and slithered onto the Chamber floor.

_"Who has disturbed me this time? And who dares to call me by the name my Master gave me?"_ She demanded with a dangerous hiss. _"Speak now, or die!"_

_"Emeralda, it is me."_ Salazar said softly. _"It has been many, many years my dear."_

_"Master?"_ She asked, her voice now softer. _"You look…smaller."_

_"I know. It is a long story my sweet, but I need to ask you something. The other night, you woke up and attacked a student. Why did you do this?"_

_"A student? No Master, a filthy muggle is what she was. The little Master said so."_

_"Emeralda, she was a student."_ He said gently._ "The girl is of pure blood heritage. Who is the little Master you speak of? I am not aware of such a person."_

Salazar heard the great snake coil around herself, but her voice took on a defensive tone._ "He is just like the little Master before. Years ago another came and said he was your Heir. He wanted to rid the school of muggle borns. I told him I wouldn't do that, and that I only attack when the filthy muggles are here, so he left. A few nights later he came to me again. He was frightened and in a panic, and said that muggles were attacking the school and told me where they would be. I struck, and petrified the filth over a period of several months. I told him about my blinders, and said that if the filth is that big of a problem that he should take them off. He did, and one died." _She hissed triumphantly. _"After that he came to me once more, and said they were gone, and that I could rest easy once more. He never told me his name though. I asked many times, but he only said that he was my new Master."_

_"He is not your new Master Emeralda. He is an evil boy with his own agenda, but did you just say that you don't have blinders?" _Salazar asked, as panic welled up inside him at the realization of just who Emeralda had killed. _"Is that what you are saying?"_

_"Yes Master. Why? Is this bad?"_

_"Yes my dear. I'm afraid you have been tricked."_

_"Tricked!" _Emeralda yelled. _"No! That cannot be!"_

_"I'm afraid so my dear. There have not been muggles at Hogwarts in nearly seven hundred years. He lied to you, and when he took off your blinders, it must have been a student that you killed."_ He said sadly.

_"No. No. Master, I did not know! I am so sorry! What heritage was the little one?" _She asked sadly, and Salazar felt the Chamber shake as the full weight of her head hit the floor.

_"A muggle born I suspect, given his hatred for them." _Salazar said softly.

_"Master, I did not know. I killed a little one. How could I have not seen this? Master forgive me!" _She pleaded.

_"I do not blame you my dear. This is not your fault. Turn your head, so that I may comfort you."_

He heard as she turned her head away from him, and he went to her. He softly patted her greenish scales, and laid his forehead on her neck.

_"I do not deserve to live. I have killed a little one."_ She said, as her body trembled. _"The little one from the other night, is she…"_

_"No. She has only been petrified. She will be all right my dear. This is not your fault Emeralda. It is his. Did this new person, the one who also claims to be your Master, give you his name?"_

_"No, the one from before was a handsome boy with dark hair. This new boy is gangly looking with red hair, but they speak the same and know what to say to me. If they didn't look different, I would say it's the same boy."_

_"I see." _Salazar said, as his mind began whirling with this new information. Then he thought fast and came up with a plan. _"Here is what we do now Emeralda. I will replace your blinders so that no more die, and then, from now on you only answer to me. If this boy comes back, you come find me and tell me what he is doing, but do not be seen. Stay inside the walls, and use the pipes to get around. There are many here that understand our language and they will be able to talk to you through the walls, but I am the only one that can speak our language. This boy is an imposter, and is no way connected to me. It is very important that you do not attack, no matter what this boy tells you to do. There are NO muggles here, and there never will be. Also, do not hurt this new boy if he comes back. I suspect that whoever he is, he may be in great danger. Just play along with what he says, and do not tell him that I have told you any of this."_

_"I will answer only to you Master, and I will listen for the ones who know our language, and go where they tell me." _

_"Thank you my dear. Here, in this time, I go by Harry Potter. I will tell you the whole story another time, but my dear, it is imperative that you call me by that name. Also, if you can't find me, ask for Godric. He goes by the name Gordy now."_

_"Harry and Gordy." _She said, as if testing the new names. _"I understand. What should I do if someone asks me why I am looking for you?"_

_"Tell them the truth, but do not say who I, or Godric, really are because no one will believe you. Tell them that a boy with red hair is trying to trick you into hurting students, and that you only hurt muggles if they are attacking the school. Assure them that you mean them no harm, but tell them you must find me, Harry Potter, so that you can tell me your information. Tell them you know that I am a Parselmouth, and this is why you wish to speak to me. If they insist on you telling them your information, tell them, but come find me anyway."_ He said, thinking of Albus and the likelihood that he would be one of the ones Emeralda would find.

_"This is all very confusing Master, but I understand."_ She said softly. _"Please remember to tell me why you are now called Harry Potter, just so that I know."_

_"I will my dear, I promise, but right now it is late and I must get to bed. I am pretending to be a student after all, so it will not be good if I'm caught out of bed at this hour."_

_"Sleep Master. You need your rest. You are very small now."_

Salazar chuckled as he patted her large head. _"I will Emeralda. Now, let me climb on top of your head so that I can replace your blinders."_

She nodded, and Salazar climbed on top of her large head, and began working on her eyes so that she wouldn't kill anyone else. Emeralda's hide may be resistant and can repel most spells, but just like a dragon, her eyes are vulnerable.

When he said goodbye to her, he got as close to her face as he dared, but still avoided looking directly at her, least he petrify himself.

_"My dear, do not feel bad that a student died by your gaze. It is not your fault and it was many years ago. If anyone is at fault, it is me. The last time we spoke I told you to obey all my descendants, and you did. The handsome boy may have been my decedent, but he does not speak the truth and he is dishonest. Do not feel bad Emeralda."_

She nuzzled his cheek lightly, almost knocking him over in the process, but Salazar stayed on his feet as he wrapped his arms around her head.

_"All right Master." _She said softly. _"But I will only obey you from now on."_

_"Very well. I must go now."_

_"Get some sleep Master. You look tired._

Salazar smiled softly as he patted her neck. _"I will."_ He said.

He watched as she returned to the statue, then he made his way out of the Chamber and back to the pipe. He sighed as he stared up at it, but then began ascending the stairs to make the long trip back up to the bathroom. He knew that he would have to vanish the stairs as soon as he reached the top, just so that no one would know that he had been down there.

* * *

***A/N* Another Chapter is up! Second year is starting to really take shape now! I know some of you may still have questions. Like how did Godric evade the twins and the map, and what about that little black diary he is carrying around, but i promise they will be answered when the time comes. Also, i know some of you may be wondering..'Well what about Myrtle?' But she will pop up soon too! Thanks for reading and i hope you guys like the new chapter! Please remember to leave a review and let me know what you think! Also, i just want to thank all of you have F, F, & R'd! You guys keep are the ones who keep me writing and i thank you so much! **


	26. Snake Bites, Letters, and Conflictions

**Chapter 26**

**Snake Bites, Letters, and Conflictions**

It was Sunday morning, and Salazar was still asleep because of his late night visit with Emeralda. He was currently laying sprawled out and face down on his bed, with his curtains closed, and his covers half hanging off the edge. He was sleeping so soundly, that he had overslept and missed breakfast.

And that was not sitting well with the other occupant of his bed.

He was rudely awakened by a sharp sting in the fleshy part of his left forearm, and he rolled over and sat bolt upright in the bed.

"Ouch." He mumbled sleepily, as he rubbed at the spot.

With bleary eyes, he peered closer at it and noticed two tiny, evenly spaced holes with blood dripping out of them. His sleepy, foggy mind couldn't comprehend what had happened until he heard a haughty voice next to him.

_"Yes Speaker, I bit you." _Nora said, as she slithered to the end of the bed with her head held high in a haughty manner.

_"You…you bit me?"_ He asked, still trying to shake the fogginess from his still half asleep mind.

_"Yes I did."_ She huffed. _"You have been ignoring me for the last few days and last night you left me here so you could go and talk to that harridan you call...Emeralda." _She said with loathing.

_"You bit me?"_ He asked again, still unable to come to terms with it.

_"Yes, and now we have missed breakfast because of your horrible snoring and unwillingness to wake up on time. Pigeon is probably worried that you have been eaten by that evil shrew you call…Emeralda." _She spat, with a sharp flick of her forked tongue.

_"You bit me!"_ He exclaimed, as he scrambled to his knees.

_"Yes, I thought we already established that."_

The bite was already starting to swell, and he knew that he needed to get to Poppy soon or he was going to get sick, dizzy, and possibly pass out from the venom.

_"Why are you worrying? I may be the deadliest snake in the world, but it's not like you will die."_ She said in a silky voice. _"Or perhaps I should call for…Emeralda. Maybe she can save you!" _She spat loudly.

_"NORA! I can't believe you bit me!" _He cried as he continued to stare at the wound.

If Salazar had already been awake, and was able to think rationally, he would have remembered that he needed to remain calm, carefully get dressed, and make his way to the hospital wing. After all, this was not the first time he had been bitten by a snake, but because his brain was still half asleep, it screamed 'SNAKE BITE', and he began to panic.

He scrambled out of the bed, but got tangled in the messed up convers and hit the floor with a loud thump. He finally wrestled himself free, shoved his glasses on his face, threw on a shirt and a pair of pants, and snatched up Nora before making a beeline for the hospital wing.

He didn't care that he was running through the common room barefoot, with his shirt half unbuttoned and his his pants undone. Nor did he care that his glasses were on upside down. All he could think about was quickly getting to Poppy so she could give him the antidote.

He continued to run down the dungeon corridors, ignoring the curious gazes of his fellow Slytherins he passed, and huffed and puffed up the dungeon stairs until he reached the entrance hall.

Students from the other houses were now whispering about why a wide-eyed panicked stricken 'Harry Potter' was running half dressed down the corridors. Salazar didn't care about them at all though, because he had already spotted Godric talking to Blaise in the entrance hall.

Unfortunately, he didn't see Albus talking to Remus outside the great hall's doors.

"Godric! Godric! Help me! Help me! Nora bit me!" He screamed frantically, as he ran over to the stunned 'Gordy'.

Godric glanced at Albus, who was staring at the odd Sunday morning scene in shock, but then he took a good look at Salazar's disheveled, frantic appearance and started laughing.

"Don't laugh at me you bloody Gryffindor! Help me, I've been bitten by a snake!" He yelled as he leaned on Blaise for support.

_"Oh so now I'm just a snake!"_ Nora yelled.

"Nora what did you do!?" Blaise shouted, as he struggled to hold Salazar up.

_"I bit him…obviously." _She replied with a huff.

"I don't feel so good." Salazar mumbled, as he collapsed onto the floor.

"Harry!" Blaise cried, as both Albus and Remus rushed over.

"Harry! Harry! Are you all right!? Albus is he all right?!" Remus asked frantically as he rolled Salazar over onto his back.

"I think he will be Remus." Albus said as he bent over Salazar to quickly check on him. "Mr. Roffin, why did Harry call you Godric?" He asked curiously.

"Oh uh, well he says I act like a Gryffindor more than a Slytherin, so he nicknamed me Godric. I think he thinks it's an insult, but who knows with Harry." He replied as he picked up the unconscious Salazar and slung him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "I'm sure that if he had been awake when Nora bit him, he would have gone about this situation calmly. He knows not to panic when a snake bites you."

"Well, waking up because of a snake bite would make anyone panic." Albus said, as he eyed both Salazar and Godric carefully.

"Nora, _why _did you bite him!?" Blaise asked, staring at her in disbelief.

_"Because he's been ignoring me."_ She said simply, as she tried to focus on him. It was hard to do though, seeing as she was wrapped around Salazar's right arm, which was swinging back and forth behind Godric's back.

"Where did you bite him?" Blaise asked, just as Hermione and Neville came out of the great hall.

She didn't get to answer though, because Hermione shrieked loudly when she saw a passed out Harry slung over Godric's shoulder, and both she and Neville ran over to them.

"What happened!?" She cried.

"Nora bit him." Godric answered.

"Why?" Neville asked as he began unwrapping Nora from around Salazar's arm.

_"Because he's been ignoring me!" _She repeated. _"With all of this nonsense talk about Speaker setting loose a giant snake, he has been distracted and hasn't spoken a word to me! He overslept this morning and we missed breakfast because of all this stupidity! I am Speaker's only snake, and everyone better remember that!"_

"Oh Nora, Harry loves you. You know that." Neville said as he brought her close to his chest. "I'm sure he didn't mean to ignore you, and anyone who thinks that Harry is setting loose a giant snake is an idiot." He said loudly, glaring at Ron and Seamus as they pointed and snickered when they walked by.

"Neville!" Hermione cried. "I do believe the _Headmaster _thinks that." She said, jerking her head in his direction. "And he's not an idiot!"

"Speaking of which, Headmaster if I may be so bold, why didn't you deny Harry's involvement at the feast last night?" Godric asked, as he raised himself up to his full height and glared at Albus as if the man were a common student.

Everyone quieted down a moment and all eyes landed on Albus. However, Albus took note of Godric's posture, and quickly dismissed it as Slytherin arrogance.

"I believe that is my business Mr. Roffin." He answered curtly.

Godric raised an eyebrow and scoffed, but decided not to push the issue. The two men still glared at each other for a moment though, before Nora diverted their attention.

_"I agree with Bottom, Bushy. If Dumbly thinks that Speaker is gallivanting around setting loose giant snakes, then he is an idiot." _She said, turning to look right at Albus. _"No offense Dumbly, but I can assure you that is not the case because I would not put up with it!"_ She yelled. Then someone else suddenly caught her attention. _"Oh look, it's the overgrown Bat. Quick! Let's run away, before he takes points from Speaker for being unconscious!"_ She said sarcastically.

"You are in a really bad mood today, aren't you Nora?" Blaise asked as he tried to hide a snicker.

_"I missed breakfast so…yes." _She hissed loudly.

"No, I do not take offense that you called me an idiot Nora." Albus said gently, as Severus swept over to the group.

He glanced at Godric with raised his eyebrow, but Remus cleared his throat.

"Umm, if I may, perhaps we should continue this, uh…conversation…in the hospital wing." Remus said, glancing pointedly at Salazar, who was still slung over Godric's shoulder. "We don't know where she bit him, or how long ago."

_"Oh I can tell you it wasn't that long ago, and I bit him on his left forearm."_

Blaise quickly jerked up Salazar's left shirt sleeve, and sure enough, the bite looked swollen, bruised, and it was still bleeding.

Hermione gasped. "Nora, how could you!" She exclaimed, and Nora glared at her for it.

"Oh yes, he does need medical attention." Albus said as he glanced at Remus, and then back at Salazar's arm. "Madam Pomfrey arrived back from Diagon Alley last night, so she should be up and about. Don't worry, she will have Harry sorted out soon."

The group quickly made their way to the hospital wing. Remus asked Godric several times to put him down so that Salazar could be levitated, but Godric refused. Remus didn't like Godric's answer of 'it's no trouble, he's light as a feather', and began wondering how this first year was able to carry Harry so easily.

When they arrived, Godric gently set Salazar down on a bed, as Poppy came rushing over to them.

"What happened?" She asked, as her eyes widened in alarm when she caught sight of the bite.

_"I refuse to answer that question again. Bottom, please put me down so I can bask in that patch of bright sunlight by the bed. I wish to contemplate why my stomach is still empty."_ She said, as she tried to wiggle free of Neville's grasp.

He set her down on the floor, while Albus told Poppy what happened. The Medi-witch couldn't believe what Nora had done, and knew that there was more to it than just Salazar ignoring her.

"It was weird. I've never seen Harry act like that. He's always so calm, but I guess he was still half asleep." Blaise said with a shrug. "He even called Gordy _Godric_, of all things."

Both Severus and Poppy's eyebrows shot into their hairlines, but neither spoke. Instead, Poppy began cleaning Nora's bite wound, and gave Salazar the same antidote that she had given Ron last year.

"Why _did _he call you that Gordy?" Hermione asked curiously as she cocked her head to one side.

"It's just a nickname." Godric replied grin. "I think it's funny though. Maybe I should call him Salazar, but that might get on his nerves."

"Yeah because he can talk to snakes just like Slytherin could." Neville said with a grin. "But you do act more like a Gryffindor than a Slytherin."

"Oh that would really fuel the rumors! Harry _is_ supposed to be setting loose Slytherin's giant snake after all. Think about it! Maybe we can prank the school and call him Salazar from now on!" Blaise said with excitement, and Neville and Gordy started grinning.

"_That_ is a prank worthy of the Weasley twins!" Neville cried. "What do you say Hermione?"

Hermione wasn't paying any attention to them though. She was staring off into space, and had a familiar look in her eyes. "Gordy Roffin, Godric…"

Severus immediately knew where that train of thought was going, and quickly decided to put an end to it.

"Miss Granger!" He suddenly shouted, making the girl jump.

"Yes Professor!" She yelped.

"I do believe your name is being called." He said, reverting back to his usual bored tone.

Neville snorted. "There's no telling what was going on in your head, but anyway, we have a prank plan. We'll fill you in later though."

"Oh ok." She said with a nervous smile and glanced at Albus, who was watching them all with thoughtful expression. "Madam Pomfrey, is Harry going to be all right?" She asked.

Poppy had just finished wrapping the bandage around Salazar's arm, then she straightened up and smiled.

"Yes, he will be just fine. He just needs to rest now. If he hadn't panicked, he wouldn't have passed out."

"He was asleep, and we have learned that it takes a little while for him to get going once he wakes up." Blaise said with a chuckle.

"Well, whatever the case may be, he needs rest, so you all need to go." She said gently.

"All right, but can you let him know about the prank we want to play, and also, can you let us know when he wakes up?" Godric asked, giving Poppy a puppy dog look, which made Neville snort loudly.

Poppy sighed, shook her head, then glared at Godric. "I suppose."

"Thank you Madam Pomfrey." Neville said as the children and Godric left.

Once they were gone, Remus turned to Albus in shock. "Albus, you aren't going to allow them to play that prank are you?"

"What's the matter Lupin, are pranks beneath you now?" Severus asked with a sneer.

Remus ignored him, but Severus could see his jaw muscles tighten. "Albus?"

Albus looked at Remus over the top of his half-moon glasses and chuckled lightly. "And how do you suppose we stop them?"

"Well, you _could_ tell them to not do it. What if Harry is against the idea?"

Severus scoffed at the notion. "Oh I assure you Lupin, Potter has inherited some of his father's _traits_." He said with a loathing glare.

Poppy glared at the two men, cleared her throat, and pointedly glanced at Salazar, before glaring back at them.

They got the hint.

"Well, I think I must be going. I have a meeting with the Minister in half an hour. If we are lucky, perhaps I can convince him to remove the dementors." Albus said, as he smiled and quickly left the hospital wing.

Once Albus was gone, Severus took a seat beside Salazar's bed and Poppy rounded on Nora.

"All right Nora, tell me the _real_ reason you bit him." She huffed, as she glared at the snake still laying on the floor.

_"Just as I said. He's been ignoring me because of that shrew in the Chamber."_

Severus outright laughed. "She bit him because of the basilisk in the Chamber."

"Emeralda?" Poppy asked, and Severus nodded.

Just then, the hospital doors flew open and Minerva and Godric came bustling in.

"Which snake bit him?!" Minerva asked frantically. "Was it Nora or the basilisk?"

"Is that why you're running so fast? Merlin woman, I could have told you it was Nora. I assumed you knew that." Godric wheezed as he struggled to keep up with her.

"How did you get away from the others?" Severus asked.

"Fred and George." Godric said, as he sat down heavily on Salazar's bed.

Minerva sighed when she saw Salazar. "I'm sorry. I thought he had been bitten by the basilisk. The rumors were that Potter had been bitten by a snake was in a panic. I didn't think he'd panic if Nora had bit him."

"It's a long story on why he did that." Godric answered.

"Gryffindors." Severus scoffed, which caused Godric to grin.

"What time did he get back to the dorms?" Minerva asked, looking at Nora.

_"He came in late. I don't know the time, but he was down there a long while." _She said with an unconcerned tone.

"Late." Severus answered simply.

Remus just stood there dumbfounded and his eyes bounced between them all. "What?" He asked in confusion.

"We are under an oath Remus, so we can't tell you anything." Poppy said. "I'm so sorry."

"You all might be, but I'm not." Godric said as he stood up. "Remus Lupin, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'm Godric Gryffindor." He continued, and he held out his hand.

Remus looked at him in confusion, and absentmindedly shook his hand. "What? You can't be serious."

"No, that would be your friend." Godric said, which made Severus roll his eyes.

"He is not going to like this." Severus muttered.

Godric chuckled. "Well then Salazar can be mad at me. He'll get over it." He said, with an unconcerned wave of his hand. "Besides, it's not fair for Sirius to know the truth and Remus to not. I've already told him that."

"What?" Remus asked, still staring at Godric in confusion.

"It's a very long story, but I think the easiest way you will believe us is to see for yourself. Peaky!" He called out.

"Master called for Peaky?" A young male elf with large blue eyes asked, as he popped into the hospital wing.

"Salazar didn't have his robes on when he was running through the castle this morning, so can you pop down to his dorms and grab his mirror?" Godric asked.

"Certainly sir!" The elf exclaimed happily, and then he disappeared.

"Remus, this boy laying in front of you is not Harry Potter." Godric began. "This boy is actually Salazar Slytherin disguised as Harry because of a Polyjuice incident gone wrong. The _real_ Harry Potter is safe though, so please don't be alarmed. He is with James and Lily, and the whole family now lives in a different country. They have been in hiding for the last eleven years."

Remus narrowed his eyes and glared at Godric. "You're lying."

"No, I'm not. Sirius did not escape from Azkaban, he was rescued by my phoenix. I do believe you may be familiar with a certain map of Hogwarts?" He asked, and Remus's eyes widened instantly. "Well, that map came in handy last year when Fred and George Weasley not only discovered Salazar's secret, but the secret of a traitorous, lying, sneaking rat that goes by the name of Scabbers, or more commonly known as, Peter Pettigrew. Sirius did not betray the Potters. He wasn't their secret keeper. It was Peter. Peter was cornered by Sirius that night, and it was Peter who killed all those muggles and framed Sirius. He transformed into his rat animagus form and escaped just as the Aurors arrived to apprehend Sirius. Sirius took the blame of killing the Potters because he was the one to suggest they change secret keepers. He felt that Peter would be the best choice, seeing as Sirius himself would be the obvious choice. Come to find out though, Peter was a Death Eater."

Remus stared at Godric in shock. "How…how do you know all this?" He asked in a shaky voice as he sank down into a nearby chair.

"Well, half the story came from Sirius, and the other half came from James." Godric replied, just as Peaky returned with the mirror.

"Master, Peaky has returned. He also brought you these two letters that Nehum brought back with him. One is a letter for Mr. Severus, and the other is a letter from _him_ for both you and Mr. Salazar." The elf said, handing over the three objects.

"Thank you Peaky." Godric said, and Peaky bowed and popped away.

_"He needs to swear an oath."_ Came a raspy voice from the bed. _"And I hate you."_

"We will get to the oath, and you can hate me all you want." Godric replied in an unconcerned tone. "You need rest you bloody idiot. I can't believe you flipped out over a bite from Nora."

_"I was still half asleep."_

"We know." Severus said, taking the letter from Godric.

_"You all have my permission to speak freely in front of Remus Lupin."_ He said with a sigh, slightly opening his eyes and looking at Severus.

"Do you need anything?" The young man asked with concern in his eyes.

"Water." He managed to reply, as Godric told the others that Salazar had given them permission to tell Remus what they know.

_"Speaker, I miss my rock. Can you go get it?" _Nora asked sweetly, as she slithered up onto the bed and settled down on his stomach. _"After you have recovered from my deadly bite of course."_

Salazar rolled his eyes, but took the offered water from Poppy and drank it in one gulp. "Thank you Poppy." He said with a small smile, but then he turned to Nora. "I might consider it Nora, if you apologize to me." He replied in English, knowing that Nora would know just how upset he was with her.

_"Speaker, I'm very sorry. I guess my jealously got the best of me. Perhaps that shrew is kind of important right now, considering she almost killed someone."_ She said begrudgingly.

_"I suppose I'll get your rock then, but please give me a few days."_ He said with a sigh. Godric tried to hide a snort, but Salazar glared at him. "Shut up Godric."

Godric chuckled, but then he turned back to Remus and held up the mirror. "I do believe you know how this works."

"Just ask for James." Poppy said with an encouraging smile.

Remus nodded and took the mirror with shaking hands. Only a small part of him held a shred of hope that James would answer, because he just hadn't come to terms with the notion that they were still alive yet.

"J-James P-Potter." He said in a shaky, quiet voice.

It took a few breathless minutes, but James's face finally appeared in the mirror, and Remus almost dropped it as he slipped off the chair and hit his knees.

"J-James!" He exclaimed with a mixture of shock and disbelief.

"Remus! Lily come quick! It's Remus!" James shouted happily. "I'm so glad to see you. How are you?"

"I-I-I'm ok." Remus replied, still in shock.

"You look good Remus." Lily said with a bright smile as she too appeared in the mirror. "And I take it they have told you. Salazar didn't want to, because he said too many already knew, but it looks like he did anyway."

"Actually Godric did." Minerva said with a smile.

"Yeah, Salazar was knocked out in a hospital bed." Godric said with a smirk. "He didn't have a say in the matter."

"And I hate you for it." Salazar said with a glare.

James snorted. "What, did Nora finally bite him or something?"

"Yes." Several people said at the same time, which caused James to laugh loudly.

"So Remus, how have you been? You still looked shocked."

"I-I just can't believe it." He said as tears welled up in his eyes. "All this time, you've been alive and I…" His voice trailed off as a sob escaped his throat.

"No one knew the truth until last year." James said quietly. "It's a long story so, why don't you sit down and I'll tell you."

It took almost an hour for the full story to be told and by the time it was over, Remus was angry. He was angry at Dumbledore, Voldemort, Peter, and himself.

"I'm so sorry. I should have…"

"Remus there is nothing you could have done." Lily said gently.

"But Sirius was innocent the entire time."

"We didn't know about Sirius's situation until last year." Salazar said quietly. "Nicholas and I thought of every scenario to try and get him a trial, but all of them required tipping off Albus and/or Voldemort, who was here last year firmly planted in the back of Quirrell's head." He said with a sigh. "There was nothing we could do, until Godric and our mutual friend used Nehum to break him out."

"But I tried!" Remus jumped up and shouted angrily. "I tried to get him a trial so many times because I wanted answers! I wanted to know _why_ he did it! When Albus took the Chief Warlock position, he _denied_ him a trail even _after_ I brought it to his attention! I knew he was there without a trial! I knew…I knew…and he was innocent." He said, finally collapsing into the chair again.

Sobs were racking his whole body as he sat there and shook his head, but it was Lily who finally pulled him out of it.

"Remus, the main thing _is _that you tried. You did something that none of us could do. You tried. That is what you have to remember."

It took a few more minutes for Remus to calm down, but he finally took a deep breath and nodded.

"So what do we do about Peter?"

"He is still here." Salazar said, as he shifted around in the bed so that he could sit up. "But…"

"…but he has sort of escaped." Godric interrupted with a sigh.

"Escaped!" Everyone cried loudly.

Godric nodded. "Sort of." He repeated. "Fred and George told me, before Minerva and I arrived, that Peter has left Gryffindor Tower and Ron is in a panic looking for 'Scabbers'. However, he is still on the grounds, and is hiding out around Hagrid's hut."

"What do we do then?" Minerva asked.

"I suspect that he will not leave the grounds as long as the dementors are here." Severus said. "Not to mention, there is plenty of food and water here. I say we leave him be, until we think of a way to oust him."

"I agree with Severus. I do not think he will leave the grounds." Salazar said with a nod. "The twins can keep an eye on him via the map."

"But what if he does escape?" Minerva asked with concern. "We need him to prove Sirius's innocence."

"He's too much of a coward." James said with a scowl. "He will stay where it's safe. He doesn't know that we have the map, so he will stay put for now."

"I agree with James." Remus said.

"But why did he run in the first place?" Poppy asked. "I don't understand."

"My guess is because I'm here now." Remus answered. "With Sirius 'on the run' and possibly coming here, and with me already being here, he knows that if one of us spots him in his rat form we will recognize him."

"That right!" James exclaimed. "He knows that Remus is rational enough to put the pieces together, even if Sirius is 'deranged' and 'mad' at this point. Peter also knows that if Sirius finds him first, that Sirius is likely to kill him because as far as Peter knows, Sirius is the only one that knows the truth."

"It's logical." Salazar said with a nod. "But we also need to figure out a way to bring Peter's crimes into the open."

"Why not just give Remus the map, have him track down Peter, and turn him over to Albus?" Godric asked.

"Because that is how a Gryffindor would look at the situation." Salazar said, rolling his eyes. "I swear, the answer does not always have to be…run head long into a situation without thinking about all the consequences."

"Well it gets the job done faster." Godric replied with a smirk.

"And it often gets people killed." Salazar replied with a glare. "No, what we need to do, is make Albus come to the conclusion that Peter is still alive 'on his own'. When that happens, _Albus _will start digging, and then we can have him do all the work. He will start to realize that things aren't what they seem, and he can start looking at what happened that night. Then _he _can call for a trial to get the truth. After all, he would want to be seen as 'Harry Potter's' hero. This will give Albus the opportunity to get justice for 'the murders of his parents' and 'look good in 'Harry's' eyes'."

"You're talking about manipulating Albus!" Minerva asked in shock.

Salazar shrugged. "I promised you all last year that I would teach you how to manipulate and old manipulative Gryffindor, didn't I?" He asked with a triumphant smirk. "And now the opportunity has presented itself."

"But how do we do that?" Poppy asked in an excited tone.

"I have no idea." Salazar admitted. "I guess we'll have to think of one."

"I have an idea." Lily suddenly said with an evil grin. "Salazar, remember what you told me you did last year? You told Albus that when you got your letter, Peter was the one who showed you where Diagon Alley was, and you also told Albus that you saw Peter turn into a rat."

Salazar stared at her, and then smacked his forehead. "That's right! I did! I had completely forgotten about that! Lily that is brilliant!"

"And _that_ is our starting point." Severus said with a smirk.

"So what do we do?" Remus asked with a smile, as he saw James give Lily a tight hug because of her quick thinking.

"Well…" Salazar grinned.

* * *

_Dear Severus,_

_I know hearing from me is not what you really expected, but there is something that I need to tell you. I know that I do not need to go into what a dementor does, or how it effects people, but I want you to know that I am very sorry for sending you into the Shrieking Shack that night._

_I don't expect you to ever forgive me, but I do hope that someday you do. I want you to know that every day I lived the nightmare of what could have happened that night. Sending you into the shack knowing full well that Remus was in werewolf form was the stupidest thing I have ever done, and I am so very, very sorry for it. (Well, second stupidest thing if you count trusting Peter.)_

_I am thankful that James had the common sense I did not. I am thankful that James is a better man than me. I could come up with a thousand excuses on why I did it, but they are just that, excuses. They mean nothing and they do not justify what I did. Nothing can ever justify what I did._

_As I said, I do not expect your forgiveness, but I hope that one day you can find it in your heart to do just that, because I am truly very sorry for sending you into that shack._

_Sincerely,_

_Sirius_

Severus glared at the letter, tossed it aside with a scoff, and stalked over to his cupboard to pour himself a drink.

_How dare he?!_ He thought bitterly as he drank the whiskey in one gulp. _He tried to feed me to a werewolf, and then he has the audacity to ask for my forgiveness!? NEVER!_

Severus paced back and forth across his office in a rage. Black had been the bane of his existence since the age of eleven, and oh how Severus hated the man. The fact that Black was asking him for forgiveness was laughable at best.

Severus had forgiven James for obvious reasons, and his rational mind knew that Remus was not in control of himself that night. The werewolf would have torn _anyone_ apart, and wouldn't have cared who it was that entered the shack. Severus knew that out of all of them, Remus had tried to be the peacemaker, but he didn't try all that hard for fear of losing his friends because he was afraid that no one would ever be his friend again.

On a small scale, Severus could relate to that. He had forgiven the werewolf, but he was still leery of him and he would always be cautious around him. After all, that was just good common sense.

But _Black_? No. He could never, ever, forgive the man.

_He tried to kill me!_ He thought, as he poured himself another drink and began another round of pacing his office.

_But Severus, haven't you ever wanted forgiveness for something you have done?_

The thought made him pause in his tracks, but he pushed it away bitterly. He was just too full of hate and loathing right now, and he didn't want to think about it. He glared at the letter once more, crumpled it up, and threw it across the room.

Forgive Black?

_Never!_ He thought, as he slammed his glass down on the desk.

* * *

A very shaky and disturbed Albus sighed and reached for a bar of chocolate as he sat down in his office chair. He had just gotten back from a very pointless meeting with the Minister, who was no closer to removing the dementors than he was to catching Sirius.

Albus had spent most of the morning at Azkaban inspecting Sirius's cell, talking to Cornelius Fudge in one of the offices at Azkaban, and trying to make sense of it all. They had no idea how Sirius escaped, what his motives were, and seeing as Albus had previously voiced his concerns for Harry, the Ministry was not willing to call the dementors away from Hogwarts just yet.

The only thing the dementors were able to tell them was that there had been a brief moment of pure happiness coming from Sirius's cell just as he disappeared. Beyond that, they couldn't tell Albus or the Minister anything else. Most of the other prisoners were unwilling to cooperate with them, or they hadn't seen anything. However, there was one prisoner, Bellatrix Lestrange, whose cell was right across from Sirius's. She cackled madly and said that Sirius had disappeared in a bright ball of flames.

_But she is mad, isn't she?_ Albus thought as he called for an elf to bring him a cup of tea.

The only thing Albus knew of that could disappear and reappear in a ball of flames was a phoenix.

_Surely a phoenix didn't do this. Sirius is a murderer. _He thought, but his mind suddenly went back to the mysterious phoenix that had shown up the other night. _That couldn't be…no, no. A phoenix wouldn't break a murderer out of Azkaban. That is ludicrous Albus!_

He dismissed the disturbing thought and sipped the tea that had been placed on his desk, and his thoughts turned to other pressing matters.

The Chamber of Secrets.

Minerva had stormed into his office late last night and demanded to know why he hadn't denied Harry's involvement in the matter. He told her that he hadn't denied it simply because he wanted to see how Harry would react. She had argued that the whole school would think he had done it, but Albus wasn't worried about it. He still told her he wanted to see how Harry would react to the pressure. Minerva had been livid and stormed out of his office.

His answer had only been part truthful though.

Truth is, he knew Harry was involved somehow. Truth is, he was starting to suspect that Harry _was_ dark. Not necessarily evil…yet…but dark none-the-less, and if Harry was left to his own devices, he would no doubt turn out just like Tom.

Albus sighed as he nibbled on his chocolate bar and sipped his tea. Harry was too much like Tom as it was. He was certain that Harry was manipulating his teachers into thinking he was a 'good boy', just like Tom had done. He was smart, near the top of his class, just like Tom. He talked about some things the way Tom did. He had a small close group of friends, just like Tom. However, where-as Tom's friends were all Slytherins, Harry's friends were a mixture of both Gryffindors _and_ Slytherins.

And that didn't sit well with Albus.

Unlike last year, he was beginning to think Harry being friends with Gryffindors wasn't such a good idea. He was beginning to fear that Harry's Gryffindor friends would be influenced by Harry, instead of the other way around, and he would not let another Gryffindor slip into darkness the way Sirius had done.

_Maybe it's all a ploy._ Albus thought with sudden alarm. _Maybe it's a trick to make everyone think Harry is a nice boy by being friends with Gryffindors._

The thought made him shudder. Tom was like that too. Tom had 'friends', but Albus knew that they weren't really his friends. They were just tools he used to do his bidding.

_Are Harry's friends really his friends?_ Albus asked himself.

If he was honest, that was where Tom and Harry differed. It seemed like Harry's friends really were his friends. Tom would never help his friends the way Harry did. Tom would have never taught his friends the spells he knew, or patiently taught his friends a difficult language like Parseltongue. Harry and his friends liked to laugh, play pranks on one another, and they all studied together. Tom wasn't like that at all.

Albus rubbed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. He knew his thoughts about Harry were conflicted at the moment. Maybe it was the lingering effects of the dementors, or maybe it was because so much was happening at the moment. He just wasn't sure.

He would be watching Harry extra carefully from now on though, that was for certain. He wanted to see what Harry knew about the Chamber. Albus just knew that Harry was involved somehow, and he was determined to figure it out.


	27. Poor Escape Plans and Giant Snakes

***A/N* I am so sorry for not updating. Life has been hectic, and on top of that, this chapter gave me a lot of problems. I cannot tell you all how many times i had to delete it and start over, but its here now, and i hope you all enjoy it! It's nice and long to make up for the long delay! **

* * *

**Chapter 27**

**Poor Escape Plans and Giant Snakes**

It had been a full two weeks since the chamber had been opened, and the entire school was thoroughly convinced, thanks to Ron and Seamus, that Salazar was behind it all. There were whispers, stares, and people were outright avoiding him in the corridors as if he was going to kill them all. Salazar thought the whole thing was funny though, and took to yelling, 'boogity boo come forth giant snake', while waving his arms over his head every time someone looked at him fearfully.

It certainly didn't help that Godric, Blaise, Neville, and the twins loudly called out 'make way for the Heir of Slytherin' everywhere he went, and sarcastically bowed every time he walked into a room they were in. Salazar would always laugh, nod, and say 'thank you my faithful subjects' before taking his seat in an over-exaggerated manner. Hermione rolled her eyes every time they did it, and Colin took pictures every chance he got. Salazar really hammed it up for Colin though, and posed every which way he could think of for him.

It had finally began to sink in with the rest of the school though, and now every time they 'acted out the part' most of the students would grin and giggle before scurrying away. Ravenclaw house began realizing that the whole notion was silly because he would not be acting like this if he really _was_ the Heir of Slytherin. He would be reserved, cold, and uncaring just like every other Slytherin. Not to mention, the Heir would not go around yelling 'boogity boo', and they began to voice their opinions on the matter. Students from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor started listening to their reasoning, they were Ravenclaws after all, and began acting 'fearful' in Salazar's presence just so they could laugh when he did it. This new change did not sit well with Ron Weasley though, and he began threating Salazar again and claimed that he better watch his back.

The only house that did not find the whole thing funny was Slytherin itself, and Salazar, Godric, and Blaise were really more concerned about them.

Draco was in a bitter mood and was loudly complaining about how Salazar had been getting all the attention lately, but it wasn't just Draco who was angry. The rest of the house wasn't happy with the way Salazar and the others had been acting about the Chamber incident, and began trying to hex them all behind their backs. Godric had already stunned several sixth and seventh years, and Salazar and Blaise had placed a bunch of them in the full-body bind curse.

Slytherin house was also upset because they had lost the Quidditch match to Gryffindor last weekend, thanks to the new brooms donated by Godric. They didn't lose just because of Gryffindor's new brooms though, they lost because Draco was a terrible seeker.

During the game, Draco spent more time running his mouth and insulting the Gryffindor seeker than he did looking for the snitch, and Slytherin lost by 180 points when the Gryffindor seeker caught it. When Godric and Blaise pointed out that both teams had been nearly tied and they only lost because of Draco, no one saw it that way and blamed the brooms. Draco especially took great offence to that and threatened them.

Needless to say, the three 'outcast Slytherins' were watching their backs carefully.

* * *

"Luna, are you sure? Because we don't want to make light of what happened if you're not comfortable with it." Godric whispered.

"I think it's rather funny Gordy." She said with a dreamy smile. "I don't mind at all, but I do thank you for asking me first. It really was an unpleasant experience, even if I can't remember what the giant snake looked like."

It was nearing the end of their Charms class, and Godric decided to take the opportunity to ask Luna her thoughts on the final portion of the prank they had planned for tonight. After all, she was the one who was attacked and he really didn't feel comfortable going through with it if she didn't want them too.

"In fact, I think it would be a good way to further show how ridiculous everyone was being when they thought it had been Harry." Luna continued. "And now that I'm back to normal, everyone keeps asking me what it looked like, how scary it was, and if I'm all right. The last part doesn't bother me, but it is getting a little old now. I was only in the hospital wing for four days." She said with a shrug, as she levitated her feather off the desk.

"Would you like to be a part of our prank, so that your friends know that we aren't picking on you?"

"Oh, I don't have any friends because people think I'm strange, but I would love to be a part of your prank, if it's ok with the others."

"Well I don't think you're strange, and I know that the others won't mind you taking part." He whispered.

"That's good to know." She said with a smile. "You and Harry are different than any Slytherin I have ever heard about, did you know that? You two don't act like the rest of them, neither does Blaise, now that I think about it."

"Why do you say that?" Godric asked curiously.

"Because all the other Slytherins are cold and don't show emotion all that much. It takes a lot to get them to show another face, other than the 'I'm bored' look. It makes them unapproachable, and I think that's why they don't have many friends outside their own house."

Godric chuckled and shook his head. "Ah yes, the infamous 'Slytherin Mask'. It's quite the funny concept really. Most people think we are emotionless zombies running around with no feelings because we are 'unreadable'. It's idiotic if you ask me, but most Slytherins think they can get an edge over their enemies if they put on that silly face. Personally, I find it boring and don't care a bit for it, and Harry thinks it's hysterical."

Luna laughed lightly. "I heard that was the type of man Salazar Slytherin really was, and all Slytherins mold themselves after him. I can't imagine what the other three founders must have thought about him."

Godric shifted around in his seat. He knew exactly where that perceived image had come from, but he looked at Luna, gave her a small smile, and quickly changed the subject.

"So anyway, if you want to take part in our prank, just do as I suggested when the time comes. Hopefully people will get a pretty good laugh out of the whole thing."

Luna giggled. "I think they will. After all, a giant pink and purple polka dotted snake does seem pretty funny." She replied, just as the bell rang.

They said goodbye to each other, and since it was the last class of the day, Godric headed down to the dungeons to put his books and things in his dorm. He knew Salazar and Blaise would be there soon, and decided to wait for them in the common room. They were going to meet Hermione, Neville, Colin, and the twins in an unused classroom on the first floor to put the final touches on the prank they planned to play at dinner. Hermione was fully against the idea because she was afraid they would get in trouble, but she had agreed to be there for 'moral support' and to make sure they didn't do anything dumb.

After Godric put his books in the dorms, he sat down by the fireplace, took out his black diary and began studying its pages. He hadn't shown the diary to Salazar yet, but he knew he needed to. He was stuck on an idea and wasn't sure how to work it out, and he was hoping that Salazar would have a few good ideas.

He had only been sitting there for a few minutes, when his diary was suddenly snatched off the table. He jumped up, expecting more sixth and seventh years to be standing around him, but instead he came face to face with a floating and grinning poltergeist.

"Give it back Peeves." He demanded sternly as he glared at the menace.

"You can't hurt Peevsie right now Lord Gryffy." He said with a mad cackle. "Can't banish me, can't banish me! Lord Slytheryness isn't here to help you!" Peeves sang, as he held the diary over Godric's head.

"Peeves I'm warning you." Godric said, holding his hand out. "Give me the book _now_."

"Why does Lord Gryffy want the book so badly? Peeves thinks that Lord Gryffy is up to something." The poltergeist said with a grin, as he flipped through the diary. "Oh what is this? Dark object detect…"

"PEEVES!" Godric yelled.

He didn't want Peeves to say anything else, seeing as a bunch of his fellow house mates had already entered the common room. They were now standing around smirking at him, and Godric could see some of those sixth and seventh years laughing to themselves. He had a sneaking suspicion that they had put Peeves up to this by bribing him.

Godric would have summoned the book, if he hadn't already placed it under an anti-summoning charm. The best he could hope for now was Salazar arriving, and hope that Peeves didn't take off with the diary before then.

"Why hello Headmaster." Peeves said in a sickly sweet voice.

Godric's whole body tensed up and he whirled around to see Albus making his way into the room. Thankfully though, so was Salazar and Blaise, though Salazar was glaring at Albus behind his back, and Blaise also looked less than pleased. Godric could only guess that Albus was up to his usual prattle and harassment of Salazar.

"It seems Lord Gryffy has a book that he doesn't want anyone to see. Peeves thinks it's full of dark ma-gic." He sang, waving the diary in the air.

"Please give me the book Peeves." Albus said with sudden alarm. "I must take a look at it."

"NO!" Godric shouted, lunging for the diary, but Peeves retreated higher above their heads.

"Why can't Peevsie give this book to the Headmaster? Let's see what else is in here." He said flipping to the next page. "Oh tsk, tsk Lord Gryffy. Are you planning on messing with the protective wards around Hogwarts? One mustn't do that behind the Headmaster's back." He said with glee.

Albus stared at Peeves, then glanced at Godric, who had already whipped out his wand.

"Salazar!" He shouted, as Salazar ran forward.

"Why Lord Slytheryness how good to see….NOOOOO! DON'T BANISH PEEVES!" The poltergeist screamed, as Salazar began to loudly chant the banishing spell.

Peeves instantly dropped the diary and fled the room, but Albus tried to summon the book before it hit the floor, to no avail. At the same moment, Godric lunged forward and caught it in mid-air, then he tucked it in his robes and turned to face Albus who was now glaring at the both of them.

"Mr. Roffin, I request that book." He said sternly.

"I'm sorry Headmaster, but that is not going to happen." Godric replied, as Salazar stood firmly next to his friend.

"Harry, get away from him." Albus said. "He could be dangerous."

"He's not dangerous Headmaster." Salazar said rolling his eyes. "And I highly doubt that book has anything to do with the wards. Gordy has been writing in that diary all year. It's mostly about his Mum, who is sick at the moment. Those kinds of ramblings are hardly anything to worry about."

"It's true." Godric said, quickly picking up the lie. "It's just a diary of my thoughts and things. You know how Peeves is Professor. He's always making something up."

"Then you won't mind if I take a quick look." Albus said with a gentle smile.

"Actually I do. I don't mean any disrespect Headmaster, but what is written in my diary doesn't concern you."

Albus's gentle smile immediately turned cold and more forced. "I'm afraid I must disagree." He said pulling out his wand. "Please let me take a look at the diary, for my own peace of mind. Peeves has laid down some serious accusations after all."

Godric eyed Albus's wand closely, and Salazar could feel his friend's body stiffen, as if he was getting ready for a dual. He knew he had to diffuse the tension, or there would likely be spells cast from both wizards.

"Professor, Gordy is only eleven. How in the world could he tamper with the wards around the school? I have read about wands and can only do minor ones, but the ones around Hogwarts are a lot more complicated."

"There seems to be a lot of things the two of you can do Harry. Most of the spells should be above your age and magical capabilities, but they seem to not be a hindrance to either of you. I will not let this school be put in danger. I request the diary." Albus said firmly.

"A fine speech coming from the likes of you _Headmaster_." Godric spat. "Does a cerberus and a griffin ring any bells? I've heard all about those."

"Shut up Godric." Salazar whispered out of the side of his mouth, but in the dead silent room, everyone heard every word.

Albus glared at the both of them, and tilted his head to the side. "You two seem to call each other Salazar and Godric a lot more than you should. Why is that?" He asked, ignoring Godric's accusation.

"I've already told you. It's a joke." Godric said in a cold tone. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go to the library."

"I'm afraid you can't leave this room until I have looked at your diary Mr. Roffin." Albus said, blocking his way.

"Fine, then I'll just have to find a different route." Godric said stubbornly, turning his back on Albus.

Out of the corner of his eye, Salazar saw Godric look around and spot one of the Quidditch players who had just come down from his dorm with his broom. He grinned, then produced a familiar looking green potion out of his pocket and discreetly drank half of it down. He winked at Salazar, and inconspicuously handed the potion to him. Salazar stared at Godric with wide eyes, and briefly wondered why his best friend was walking around with it in his pocket, but then he became distracted because of the mischievous look on Godric's face. He had seen that look before, and it usually didn't bode well...for Salazar that is.

"Mr. Roffin, as you can see there is no other way out of here. Now, give me the diary so I can look through it. If it is what you say it is, then you have nothing to hide." Albus said, glaring at Godric's back.

Godric scowled and turned to face Albus. "I don't want you to see it because it is _my_ personal business. I choose who I share it with, and I don't choose you."

"Then I'm sorry, I'm afraid I must do this." Albus said with a sigh, and suddenly ropes appeared from the end of his wand.

Unfortunately for Albus, Godric knew a thing or two and instantly vanished the ropes, while at the same time Salazar hit him with an impediment jinx. Albus's movements slowed down immediately, and a look of astonishment slowly appeared on his face.

"What did you two do!?" Blaise cried, but they ignored him.

Knowing that they only had a short minute or two to escape before Albus returned to normal, and not really knowing what Godric was up too, Salazar quickly unraveled Nora from his wrist and gave her to Blaise. Godric turned towards the Quidditch team, who had all gathered to watch the two of them 'face off' with Albus before heading off to practice, and aimed his wand at Draco.

"Accio Draco's broom!" Godric cried, and the broom sailed towards them.

"Oh no! No! No! I'm not getting on that…" Salazar started to yell, but he was cut off when Godric grabbed him under the arms and threw him on the back of the broom.

"Give me back my broom!" Draco screamed, just as Godric kicked off from the ground.

"No Godric! The other way! The _other _way!" Salazar yelled as they zoomed toward one of the windows.

Now, flying towards a closed window on a broom, after you have you have drank a potion that will allow you to walk through such things, wouldn't have been a big deal. Unfortunately however, Salazar built the Slytherin common room half under the Black Lake, and the window they were speeding towards led directly into said lake.

"Godric, don't you dare! No!" Salazar screamed in his ear, but Godric only laughed loudly. "Towards the castle! Towards the castle! Not the lake you bloody Gryffindor!"

"Hold your nose!" Godric shouted gleefully.

"AAARRRGGGHHH!"

The last thing Salazar heard before he, Godric, and the broom zoomed out of the window and into the freezing cold water was, '_Speaker, get off that crazy contraption!_' He had really, really wanted to, but that crazy, idiotic, insane, bloody Gryffindor wouldn't let him.

The icy cold water hit Salazar like a thousand needles, but through the pain of it all, he somehow managed to cast a Bubble-Head charm around his head so that he wouldn't drown. Godric swam up next to him, grinning like the fool that he was, and they both watched the broom sink to the bottom of the lake. Then he watched as Godric swam back over to the window, cancel his own bubble-head charm, stick his head _back _into the window, and yell something at Albus before grabbing Salazar's arm and heading towards the surface.

_I AM GOING TO KILL HIM!_ Salazar thought, as he took one last glance back into the warm common room.

The entire house was staring at them with their mouths hanging open and with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. Blaise had jumped on top of the table that was sitting under the window and was apparently yelling something, but of course, he couldn't hear him. Draco looked angry over the loss of his broom and was yelling at Albus, who was staring wide-eyed at the window in total disbelief. That was the last thing he saw though, before Godric tugged on him again and they began swimming towards the surface.

He could hear Godric's muffled, gleeful laughter as they swam as fast as they could towards the surface, and he glared at his completely insane best friend.

_I am going to find a way to murder him. I am going to strangle him. I am going to hex him. I am going to chop him up into little pieces and use his body parts for potions ingredients. I am going to…_"YOU BLOODY GRYFFINDOR!" He bellowed, as they broke through the thin ice that covered the surface of the lake. "I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"That was brilliant!" Godric exclaimed, as he laughed and grinned wickedly. "Wow, this cold water really wakes you up, doesn't it?"

"You idiot! What was the point in that!?" Salazar yelled, as he began to strangle a still grinning Godric, but he couldn't quite get his frozen fingers around his friend's neck.

"Well I did say I'd find another way out, didn't I?" Godric chuckled, when Salazar finally gave up and released him. "That's what I said to Albus by the way. Salazar, we have got to do that again!"

Salazar picked up a thin piece of floating ice and whopped him over the head with it, but Godric paid it no mind as he continued his manic grinning.

"Godric, I swear on Merlin's grave that when I thaw out, I'm going to find a way to kill you." He grumbled.

"Merlin doesn't have a grave my friend, and deep down you know that was bloody amazing!"

"I am soaking wet and frozen. No that wasn't 'bloody amazing'." He growled.

"Oh come on! Remember that time Helga turned us both into fish and banished us into this very lake? That was for three days in the middle of December! This is nowhere _near_ as bad as that was."

"She only did that because _you_ talked _me_ into setting loose a bunch of toads in her office!"

"I know, that was funny wasn't it!?" Godric chuckled.

Salazar rolled his eyes, but suddenly stopped and grabbed ahold of Godric's robes. "Shush!" He whispered fiercely.

"What?" Godric asked in alarm as he stopped thrashing around. "Is it the grindylows?"

"No, it's Albus. He's with Minerva, Poppy, Severus, and Remus."

"Oh bloody hell." Godric whispered.

"They had to have come up by now! Spread out, and look along the edges! It's starting to get rather dark out here!" They heard Albus yell. "HARRY! MR. ROFFIN! CAN YOU HEAR ME!?"

"POTTER! ROFFIN! I SWEAR IF YOU TWO DON'T ANSWER ME, YOU WILL HAVE DETENTION FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR!" Severus yelled with a mixture of anger and worry in his voice.

"Severus is quite the character, isn't he?" Godric chuckled.

"You have probably given all of them a near nervous breakdown. You just wait until Poppy gets ahold of us. I'll make sure you take all the blame." Salazar whispered maliciously.

Godric shivered, and stared at him with wide eyes. "You wouldn't?" He asked through chattering teeth, because the cold water was starting to get to him.

"Oh I would." Salazar answered through his own shivers. "I'm near frozen solid. We need to get out of this stupid lake."

Godric sighed with disappointment. "Well, it was fun while it lasted. Let's head towards Minerva, she's the least likely one to kill me."

"Don't bet on it. I'd pick Remus over her." Salazar answered. "WE'RE OVER HERE!" He yelled as loud as he could, seeing as his teeth were also chattering badly.

They swam as fast as they could towards the shore, knocking thin sheets of ice out of their way as they went. Minerva looked ready to kill them both, but it was Poppy who sent two powerful stinging jinxes towards their backsides.

"Ouch! It wasn't _my_ fault! It was his 'brilliant' idea!" Salazar cried, as he pointed towards gleefully chuckling Godric.

"I don't care! You two nearly scared us to death! Now wrap these warm blankets around yourselves this instant!" She hissed, just as Albus, Severus, and Remus reached them.

"Harry, Mr. Roffin, I do hope you have a very good explanation for this." Albus said as he eyed the two shivering 'children' carefully.

"Yes Potter, do delight us with your story." Severus said with a sneer, as Poppy and Minerva began drying them off with hot-air charms.

"Harry, what were you thinking!?" Remus cried, but he looked like he was going to burst out laughing at any minute.

Salazar stared at them all in bewilderment, then he shouted, "It wasn't my fault! I didn't have a choice!" He said, pointing an accusing finger at Godric, who doubled over with laughter.

"We can talk about this later." Poppy huffed. "We have to get them inside and warmed up before they catch their death."

"It would serve them right." Minerva scowled, but then she smirked at them. "Although I do believe we aren't the only ones they have to worry about, because Miss Granger is in a right state at this point. Mr. Zabini has apparently told her exactly what happened."

"Uh oh." Godric said, as all traces of laughter fled from his face. "She can be worse than a wet angry cat. No offense Professor McGonagall."

Minerva sent a stinging jinx at him, which Godric blocked, but Salazar rolled his eyes. "I swear, Gryffindors never think before they speak, or _act _apparently."

"For once Potter, I think I agree with you." Severus said with a nod.

That did it. Remus burst out laughing and they began to make their way towards the warm castle. Albus led the way, and appeared to be lost in deep thought. The others kept grinning, smirking, and snorting, and now that Salazar was dried off and somewhat warm, he finally started to laugh, which only made Godric start snickering again.

"All right, I do admit that it was pretty good." Salazar whispered so that Albus couldn't hear him. "But next time make sure that it is warm outside."

"Deal." Godric whispered with shinning eyes, just as they reached the front doors of the castle.

"_What_ were you thinking!?" A voice suddenly demanded.

From out of nowhere, Salazar found himself being assaulted by a bushy haired, book wielding Hermione Granger. She began to whack him on the arms and shoulders with it, but thankfully she spared his head because the book was pretty thick.

"Disappearing out of a _closed _window, on a _broom_, and _into_ the freezing cold lake! What…were…you…thinking?" She asked, hitting him with each word.

"We're not worthy! We're not worthy!" Fred and George cried in unison, only to have Hermione round on them.

"This…is…not…funny!" She cried, chasing them for several feet and trying to hit them with her 'weapon'.

Blaise, Neville, and Colin were nearly doubled over with loud, boisterous laughter, and Minerva, Poppy, and Remus just stood and watched the scene with smirks on their faces. Albus looked slightly amused, and Severus looked bored, but his eyes were shining with laughter.

"It wasn't my fault! Blame the Gryffindor in Slytherin robes!" Salazar cried, pointing at Godric as he ducked to get away from another blow.

Hermione seemed to falter a bit and she looked at Godric a bit uncertainly, but then she whopped him once with the book. "Don't ever scare me like that again!" She cried, as Godric snorted loudly. "_How _did you manage this!?" She demanded with a stomp of her foot, as she glared at Salazar.

"An excellent question Miss Granger." Albus said as he looked at them all with twinkling eyes.

Hermione's eyes widened as she finally took note of just _who_ was actually standing around them. Then her face reddened to a deep blush and she backed away quickly, while muttering an apology.

"How _did _you both manage this?" Albus asked, turning a stern gaze towards Salazar and Godric.

Godric cleared his throat, and managed to stifle a glare before replying. "I looked through the book Harry showed me that was written by Salazar Slytherin. I copied down the recipe for a potion that allows someone to walk through walls. I thought it was funny and could come in handy at some point. Turns out I was right."

Albus glared at him. "Ten points from Slytherin for brewing a dangerous potion unsupervised, and I still need that dairy of yours Mr. Roffin."

Salazar glared at Albus, and noticed that Severus's wand hand flinched a bit. Godric however, sighed and reached into his pocket, then he paled drastically and began to frantically pat down his robes.

"I-I-don't have it sir. I think I lost it somewhere in the lake."

Albus studied him closely for a moment, but then he sighed and nodded. "Very well. Let's get you two up to the hospital wing. I do believe you both need a pepper-up potion. However, I must take thirty more points from Slytherin, and you both have detention with me for a full week, starting Monday."

Severus glared at Albus and Godric, but Salazar couldn't tell which of them he wanted to hex the most.

They all began to make their way towards the hospital wing, so that Poppy could give them the attention, and stern talking to, that she had been itching to give them. When they arrived, they were steered towards the two nearest beds and Poppy began her exams. When she was satisfied that they were all right, she proceeded to scold the two Founders, who had the good common sense to look sheepish, gave them the Pepper-Up potion, and glared at them until they had drank every last drop.

"I have half a mind to keep the two of you here until the morning, BUT," she said, throwing up her hand to stop their protests, "I know you have plans for tonight at dinner."

They all sighed with relief, but Albus frowned at them. "What plans?" He asked.

Hermione squeaked and then hissed, "I told you all this wasn't a good idea!"

"Don't worry Headmaster, we have it all under control." Fred said as he bowed low. "We promise not to disappear into the lake, use freezing cold water, or do anything that would otherwise main, harm, or kill anyone."

"Trust us." George said, as he too bowed low. "As Fred said, we have it under control. We have cleared everything with Madam Pomfrey, and she deems it safe."

Albus chuckled and his eyes twinkled. "Then I look forward to being surprised. I shall see you all at dinner then."

Albus was still chuckling as he left the hospital wing, but Godric glared at his retreating form. "If you and I had said that, he would have taken more points and told us not to do it."

"Yes, his bias is appalling. Welcome to Hogwarts circa 1992, were Slytherins are the devil and Gryffindors can do no wrong." Salazar growled sarcastically.

Godric frowned. "And what makes it worse is, he's the Headmaster."

"Indeed."

Severus loudly cleared his throat, which made them realize that they weren't alone, seeing as the children were still present. If Blaise, Neville, and Colin were confused by the short conversation, they didn't let on. Hermione on the other hand, studied them both closely with narrowed eyes, but she remained quiet.

After getting scolded by Poppy one last time, they all left the hospital wing. Dinner was starting soon so the Professors went their separate ways, and the children, Salazar, and Godric headed for the unused classroom on the first floor.

It was a short walk, but Salazar and Godric hung back while the twins distracted the others.

"Did you really lose your diary?" Salazar whispered, keeping an eye on the children ahead of them.

Godric shook his head. "No, I made that up on the spot. It seemed like a valid excuse. Actually, I haven't told you what it is yet and I can't go into detail right now, but suffice to say, it does actually have something to do with the wards. I'm stuck with an idea that I have in mind."

"Are you talking about the dark object detection ward? We were already working on that."

"I know, but this is more in depth. I'm trying to incorporate _more _family magic into the ward, but I just can't seem to work it out right. I've been stubborn with not telling you about it because of that." He said, looking at Salazar apologetically. "I know you'd never betray me or blabber to others about Gryffindor family magic, but it's just…it's just…"

"Family magic." Salazar said, patting him on the shoulder. "Godric I understand, you don't have to explain, or apologize. I would do the same thing."

Godric gave him a small smile and nodded. "Thank you my friend."

Salazar nodded knowingly as they entered the classroom. The twins, Neville, and Blaise were already getting the giant snake ready as Hermione just shook her head and watched them.

"I can't believe that we are actually going to do this after what the two of them just pulled." She said, looking right at Godric and Salazar.

"You heard what the Headmaster said Hermione." Neville snorted, as he made more purple polka dots on the 'snake'. "He is looking forward to it."

"I know but…"

"Relax." Blaise said in a lazy tone. "We will be fine. By the way Gordy, Draco is very angry at you for stealing his broom, and is…"

"Let me guess," Salazar interrupted in a bored voice, as he rolled his eyes. "Threating to 'tell his father about this'."

Blaise grinned at him. "Yep!" He said with a nod.

"I figured that was going to happen. Don't worry, I plan on giving him the money to replace it." Godric said with a sigh. "I'll tell him that at dinner."

After that, the conversation turned to the night's upcoming events. Godric told everyone about his conversation with Luna earlier in the day, and everyone stared at each other in horror. Not because of Luna's involvement, but because of their insensitivity over the matter. Hermione started a new round of fretting, and Salazar couldn't believe that he hadn't even thought about her and how she would feel. Godric assured them that Luna was fine with it though, and told them that she was looking forward to be included in their plan. This eased everyone's conscience a little.

However, there was another part of the plan that was unknown by the rest of them, with the exception of Fred and George. This was the part that everyone 'in the know' was hoping would wake Albus up and make him realize that 'Harry' wasn't the bad guy.

At least that's what they all hoped would happen anyway.

* * *

The plan was to let the children have enough time to eat, so they decided to wait until dinner was half over, and just so that they would all be together, the Gryffindors decided to eat at the Slytherin table. When they entered the great hall, all of Slytherin house started whispering and staring at Godric and Salazar, but they just shrugged and decided not to pay any attention to them.

The first half of dinner passed peacefully, despite the usual glares and grumbling from the other Slytherins, but as soon as they had scarfed down their dinner, Neville, Blaise, Fred, George, and Godric left. Hermione and Colin left to go sit at the Gryffindor table, and Salazar stayed sitting in his normal spot at the Slytherin table.

Five minutes later, Salazar suddenly jumped up and stood on the bench seat. No one really paid attention to him at first, but he suddenly let out a loud yell, and started waving his hands in the air.

"Attention mere peasants of Hogwarts! I, Harry Potter, now proclaim myself Lord over you all, simply because I'm an evil, no good, slimy Slytherin. Accept me now, or you will perish!"

Remus nearly choked on his dessert, and Minerva just barely managed to hide a snort as Salazar placed his hand on his hips and puffed out his chest. Everyone else though, just stared at him like he'd gone mental. Salazar ignored their looks and continued.

"Due to my evil Slytheryness, and your refusal to do as I say, I shall now summon the giant snake!" He shouted, and this time people began to look slightly afraid.

Salazar started to wave his wand in an over exaggerated, complicated manner, and spoke, "Oh giant snake of Slytherin's, come forth!" He yelled. "Come and claim your muggle-born and half-blood victims! Giant snake! Giant snake, boogity boo, COME FORTH!" He shouted as he waved his arms again.

Despite her earlier protests, Salazar could see Hermione trying to cover her giggles, but Colin jumped up and literally began to run in circles while screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Run! Run! He going to…wait, what's my line again?" He asked with a snicker.

"Kill, Colin. He's going to kill us all." Salazar staged whispered to him, though it was loud enough for the whole great hall to hear.

"Oh yeah! He's going to kill us all! AAARRRGGGHHH!" He screamed, as he ran around in more circles, causing the camera around his neck to bounce around on his chest.

Just then the great hall's doors flew open, and a giant pink and purple polka dotted snake walked…err…slithered?...in. It looked like a few old bed sheets had been sown together and showed signs of horribly done color changing charms. The snake had legs that were clothed in black slacks, (only because Godric, Blaise, and Neville had the sheets draped over their heads), and the snake's 'head' had holes for eyes. Its tongue hung limply out of its mouth, and looked suspiciously like an old frayed shoe string.

By this time the entire great hall was laughing, and even a few of the more stuck-up Slytherins were chuckling. Others however, namely Ron Weasley, didn't seem too impressed.

Salazar snorted, despite trying not to, and continued. "Oh great serpent of Slytherin, get them!"

The 'snake' turned its gaze toward the Ravenclaw table, and Luna giggled, immediately fell over, and laid on the floor in a stiffened positioned. A Ravenclaw prefect by the name of Penelope Clearwater, also started laughing and fell over, as a few others followed their lead.

Colin screamed again, ran over to the snake, took a picture, and also fell over just as the snake turned its gaze towards the Hufflepuff table. Justin Finch-Fletchley, a muggle born, was laughing so hard that he didn't realize that the snake was pointedly starting at him until a friend elbowed him, and he also fell over.

The entire great hall was in an uproar over the whole thing. Most were laughing at the ridiculousness of it, while others were flopping around on the floor and laughing as it turned their way. Some of the Professors were trying to restore order, while others laughed and enjoyed the show. Albus couldn't decide what to do, so he sat at the head table taking it all in with a smile on his face. Severus on the other hand, had already had enough and marched over to the 'snake' and ripped the sheet off of their heads.

"I should have known. Roffin, Zabini, and Longbottom." He drawled, as they grinned at the 'destruction' they had caused, but then Severus turned towards Salazar. "Potter, get down here!"

Salazar tried his best to look sheepish, but failed miserably as he caught sight of Godric sticking his tongue out at Severus, whose back was turned. He started laughing, and half walked, half tripped over his own feet as he made his way over to his friends.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Severus demanded as he shook the sown together sheets in front of his face.

Before he could answer, the great hall's doors flew open again, and Fred and George came charging in. They were waving wooden swords above their heads.

"We will save you students of Hogwarts!" They shouted in unison, but stopped dead when they realized what was going on.

"I think someone beat us to it Fred."

"I think you are right George."

Severus glared at them and summoned the swords. When they sailed to him, he glanced down and sneered. The wooden swords were painted silver, with a painted red ruby on the handle, and the words 'Godric Gryffindor' were burnt into the blade portion.

"What is this nonsense?" He snarled.

"The umm…Sword of Gryffindor." Salazar answered sheepishly, while shuffling his feet. "We remembered what it looked like from last year."

Godric snorted, but remained quiet. The twins grinned and tried to slink away, however Severus glared at them, and they came to stand beside the others.

"CREEVEY!" Severus suddenly shouted. "You get over here as well, and Granger, you too!"

"But she didn't…" Neville started to protest, but he was cut off by another glare from Severus.

The five Gryffindors and three Slytherins stood in front of the angry looking Potions Master, ready for whatever punishment would fall on them, but it was Remus who stood up and spoke.

"Professor Snape, what harm have they done?" He asked as he made his way down to them.

When he got closer, Salazar grinned as he spotted the two shrunken mirrors that resembled buttons, which were attached to his shirt collar. He knew that Sirius, Lily, and James were laughing themselves silly over the whole incident.

"No one has been hurt, and everyone had a good laugh." Remus continued. "That is something that we could all use around here, especially now, seeing as the dementors are doing their best to suck the happiness out of everyone. Don't you agree?"

Severus glared at the werewolf. "No I do not." He answered in a clipped tone. "And Potter has all but admitted that he is the Heir of Slytherin, and I think he needs to be punished." He sneered as he grabbed ahold of Salazar's robes.

"NO! NO!" Salazar cried. "I'm not the Heir of Slytherin! I'm actually the Heir of Gryffindor!"

The entire hall became still and quiet as everyone stared at him, but it was Hermione that broke the silence.

"WHAT!?" She cried. "How do you know that!?"

"A-A book." Salazar answered, as Severus roughly released him and stared at him in 'shock'.

Hermione looked at him curiously. "What book?"

Salazar sighed and turned to face her. "Gordy told me that every ancient wizarding family has a self-updating book that records each birth, death, and marriage. He also said since the Potter Family is old, that we would likely have one. I snuck off the grounds by using the floo in Professor Lupin's office. I went to Gringotts and looked through my family's vault until I found it." He said, and flinched when a hurtful look entered her eyes. He really hated having to lie to the children.

"Why didn't you tell us?" She asked quietly.

"I'm sorry Hermione, but I didn't want people to know. I thought that people would think I was bragging. When I found the book, I began to trace the Potter line back through the centuries. For a while I thought maybe I _was_ the Heir of Slytherin because of the parseltongue, and the fact that I am in Slytherin house. I thought that maybe I was somehow responsible for what happened to Luna, and maybe I didn't know it. I thought I was being controlled somehow, or something…I don't know, but Gordy and I went searching. That's when we found out that I am actually the Heir of Gryffindor." He said quietly. Then he turned to face a shocked looking Albus and continued.

"Godric Gryffindor had two sons. One of them was killed in battle before he had a chance to marry, but the other went on and had a son of his own. From that line, one of Gryffindor's great, great, great, granddaughters married a man named Ignotus Peverell in the mid 1200's, and they also had a son. From there, one of the great-great-however many greats, Peverell granddaughters married a man named Johnathan Harold Potter, and I, Harry Potter, stand before you as the last remaining Heir of Godric Gryffindor. It's the truth, and I would be willing to swear an oath to prove it."

As Salazar finished his mini-speech, everyone in the great hall stared at him. Several Ravenclaws looked intrigued and deep in thought, the Hufflepuffs began whispering amongst themselves, the Gryffindors looked confused, and the Slytherins looked shocked.

Salazar looked up at Remus and sighed again. "I know I was wrong to sneak off school grounds, and I'm sorry I broke into your office Professor Lupin, but I didn't know what else to do. I just…I just wanted to know for sure." He said quietly, as he hung his head and stared at the floor.

"It's all right Harry." Remus said softly as he patted Salazar's shoulders. "I understand why. I just wish you would have told me what you were doing. Perhaps I could have helped."

"I didn't know if you would or not. Adults have never tried to help me before. That's why I have learned to do things myself. It's just easier that way. No one would stick up for me, and until we started this prank, everyone thought it was me. No one believed that I wasn't the Heir, and like I said earlier, I thought I was a horrible person because I thought I was being controlled. I thought that I was somehow doing it. No one would help me. No one would stick up for me, except my friends." He said with a small smile in their direction. "Even the Headmaster thought it was me. What does that tell you?"

If Remus didn't know the truth, his heart would have broken into a million pieces, but instead he glared up at Albus, who was sitting at the head table staring at Harry in shock. Albus finally stood up though, and cleared his throat as he glanced around the room.

"Harry, I never thought that you were the Heir of Slytherin…"

"LIAR!" Godric shouted. "How dare you sit up there and…"

Godric suddenly found himself ranting silently at Albus, but only because Salazar hit him with a silencing charm.

"I'm sorry Gordy, but I don't want you to get into trouble. This is my fight, not yours." He said, as he glared up at Albus. "But Gordy is right Headmaster. You are a liar. You _did_ think it was me. That's why you have _yet_ to deny my involvement in this mess. I have absolutely no trust in you what-so-ever. You can't see past the fact that I'm a Slytherin and not a Gryffindor like you so clearly hoped. Your bias is appalling, and the way you have treated me this year would make my parents roll over in their graves. You sit up there and look down your nose on _all_ Slytherins, just because of the simple fact that they _are_ Slytherins. Not all of us are bad you know. There are good people like Blaise and Gordy for example. It's just that, unlike you, we can see grey. Not all things are black and white, or to put it in terms you are familiar with, not all things are light and dark. You don't like Slytherins because we see grey. We don't conform to your way of thinking, and that bothers you."

"Harry," Albus said with a stern glare. "You are too young to know what…"

"Spare me the 'too young' speech Headmaster. It is _you_ who is too young to know what you are talking about." Salazar said, promptly cutting Albus off.

"I agree." Godric said through gritted teeth.

Obviously the silencing charm had worn off of a clearly irate Godric, who was red faced with anger and near his breaking point.

"Where are you going?" Salazar asked in confusion as Godric stomped away.

"I'm leaving. If I stay here, I'm going to say or do something rash. That man is getting on my last nerve. He is an unworthy Gryffindor. UNWORTHY!" He shouted, as he shook his fist and glared at Albus, but then he turned back to Salazar. "I need to go. I'll be back later."

"All right." Salazar said in bewilderment, as he watched his enraged best friend storm out of the great hall. Salazar knew it was for the best, seeing as Godric had a tendency to speak before thinking about things.

Albus watched him go, but then he sighed. "Harry, Mr. Roffin didn't let me explain." He said, as he leaned against the head table. "I never thought you were the Heir of Slytherin. I just thought you had something to do with the opening of the Chamber."

"So the message left by the Heir of Slytherin, meant…what?" Remus asked.

Albus looked down at them with tired eyes. "I thought that Harry had left the message because the Heir told him to. I thought that Harry was _working _for him."

Everyone glared at Albus, but Poppy was the one who exploded.

"ALBUS HE'S TWELVE!" She bellowed, as she jumped up and knocked over her chair. "How could you think something like that?!"

"I know. I'm sorry. I was wrong about it all." He said, glancing around the great hall. "Everyone, return to your houses. Professors remain here, and you all as well." He said, pointing to Salazar and the children.

As the great hall slowly emptied out, the students began buzzing about all of this new information, but Salazar didn't mind. He had gotten what he wanted, and Albus had admitted that he was wrong. He didn't know that it was going to go quite this far, or with so many people around, but hopefully now everyone would start opening up their eyes and think for themselves.

Albus sat down heavily and sighed once again. "Harry, I'm sorry for what I have done, but there are things that you don't understand."

"Then explain them to me." Salazar pleaded.

"I can't. You're too young." He said simply. "And I don't think you are ready for it all."

Salazar once again glared at Albus, but he knew full well that the Headmaster wasn't going to say anything in this situation.

Salazar sighed and shook his head. "Then you leave me no choice but to figure things out for myself. Headmaster, I can tell you with full confidence that you will one day regret the decisions that you have made on my behalf. First was sticking me with those magic hating muggles, and secondly was not telling me things I clearly need to know. You and I both know that Voldemort is not dead, and we both know why." He said, leveling his gaze and looking directly into Albus's eyes.

Salazar could have kicked himself. He hadn't meant to say that, and judging by the sudden realization that had sprung up in Albus's eyes, he knew that Albus now knew 'Harry' was more knowledgeable about things than he was letting on about.

The Headmaster studied Salazar for a moment, before looking down his nose at him. "Harry, is there anything you wish to tell me?"

"No." Salazar replied curtly. "If you won't share information with me, then I won't share information with you. You have to give, in order to receive."

"POTTER!" Severus shouted, only to be waved off by Albus.

"No Severus, in a way he is correct, even if he is going about it in a childish manner." Albus said with an amused smile. "As I'm sure you are aware, the young often think they know better than adults. It's a phase that all children go through."

"Indeed it is." Salazar agreed with a smirk. "For once Headmaster, we agree on something. However, there _is_ something I wish to tell you. When the time comes, Voldemort _will_ die by _my _hand one way or another. As will any Death Eater who stands with him. They will _all_ die."

A true look of concern engulfed Albus and he stared at Salazar in alarm. "Harry, you mustn't kill people. They can change. I've already told you that."

"And I suppose you think Tom Riddle falls into that category." Salazar stated with a chuckle, as Albus reeled back in shock. "He doesn't, I assure you, and he will be dealt with by me, with or without your help. I prefer with your help, seeing as you know more about him than I do, but I guess that's not going to happen. So, I will just have to go it alone."

"You're not alone Harry." Neville suddenly said in a voice that was cold as ice. Salazar had never heard him use it before, and it took him by surprise as he looked at his young friend. "I will be there too. I will fight with you. I don't know who that Tom bloke is, but someone like Bellatrix Lestrange does not deserve to live. Not after what she did to…nevermind that, but she…she is alive…and others…others are barely alive." He said, as his voice cracked and a tear slipped down his cheek. "If war comes again, I'll be there. I'm not…I'm not afraid." He stated firmly, as he drew himself up to his full height.

Neville stood there with a look on his face that dared anyone to tell him otherwise, and Salazar wasn't about to. They were children that had truly been affected by the last war and he knew that they had real grievances against those that had perpetrated it, and for Albus to stand there in front of them pleading for the lives of murders made Salazar absolutely sick.

In all his many years of life, he had seen wars come and go. He knew that only in rare instances did someone truly change their ways. People like Severus did not come along often, and he knew that someone like Malfoy and the Lestranges were not one of them. They craved death and destruction, and would not go down without a _real _fight.

It hurt Salazar to know that they were only children, but children he knew, could sometimes surprise you. They had a strength that was often times lost to world weary adults, and as Salazar looked into Neville's face, he vowed right then and there to protect and guide not just Neville, but all of them should they choose to fight the war that was surely coming.

He glanced up at Fred and George as they each laid a hand on Neville's shoulders. "Death Eaters killed our Uncles. We know what you are going through Neville, and we will fight too." George said firmly, as Fred nodded in agreement.

Hermione sniffed and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I don't know a whole lot about the Wizarding War, but my Mum's brother fought in the Gulf War that just ended back in January. I don't know what it means to fight a war, but I will do what I can to help."

"As will I." Colin said quietly. "My great grandfather fought in World War II. He was a photographer. He may not have actually killed anyone, but he still had to carry a gun. He took pictures of things that were horrible, and he saw a lot of things he wished he hadn't. I am proud of my great grandfather though. He passed away before I was born, but my Mum told me stories about him and said I got my love of photography from him. If a war is coming, I will be there, and just like Hermione, I will do what I can."

"Me as well." Blaise said suddenly. "I don't know whether I've been hanging around to many Gryffindors, but I will also do what I can. You can count on me Harry."

Salazar looked at his young friends with tears in his eyes. "I vow to do everything within my power to protect you and your families." He said sincerely, as he gave the twins a knowing look. "You have my word."

"Mine too."

Salazar turned sharply to see that Godric had reentered the great hall at some point, and he nodded at his best friend.

"True Gryffindors." Godric said as he gazed upon them with his arms folded across his chest. "I am proud of you, and you honor Gryffindor with your bravery." He said with a proud smile.

The children looked slightly confused with 'Gordy's' statement, but a strangled sob escaped from Minerva as she dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. Severus glanced at Salazar, and subtly nodded. Remus and Poppy both looked slightly worried, and they shot a look towards Salazar, but remained quiet. Salazar knew they both had questions, and he was more than willing to answer them later.

Albus on the other hand, looked around at them with an ever increasing look of concern. He cleared his throat, and Salazar stiffened because of what he knew Albus was about to say.

"Harry, while you and your friends' words are admirable, you all have no idea what you are saying. I agree that Voldemort is not dead, and I agree that he may one day return, but we do not know when that day is. However, revenge is a slippery slope, and it will lead you to darkness."

Salazar opened his mouth to retort, but Neville beat him to it. "What do you know about it!?" He shouted. "What have you done to stop him? Tell us, what have _you_ lost to You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters? All my Gram would tell me about you, is that you were 'working on a way to end the war'. Well it seems to me that your way didn't work. If it wasn't for Harry, we'd probably _still _be dealing with You-Know-Who."

"Voldemort, Neville." Salazar said softly. "Call him Voldemort. He wants people to fear him, and I'm sure he gets a good laugh over the name You-Know-Who. Don't give him what he wants."

Neville fearfully glanced at Salazar, but then a hard look flashed in his eyes. "V-V-Voldemort!" He said defiantly, as Salazar gave him an encouraging smile. Neville turned back towards Albus and glared at him. "So Professor, tell us, what have you lost to Voldemort and the Death Eaters?" He asked again.

Albus sighed and shook his head. "You are only children. You do not understand what you are asking, nor do you understand what you are vowing to do."

"Oh I think we understand a lot more than you think." Godric said. "Your problem is that you can't see past age. Yours, or ours."

"Gordy's right." Salazar said with a chuckle.

"Regardless of who is right or wrong, you are all just children and have no idea what you are talking about. This conversation is now over, and I don't want to hear any more talk about war from any of you." He said sternly as he glared at them. "Now, it is getting late and I suggest you all head to your common rooms."

One would think that Albus's lack of response would make Salazar angry, and normally it would, but in this case Salazar couldn't help but laugh. He knew Albus was only working off preconceived knowledge. Albus truly did think 'Harry' was only twelve, but Albus's problem is that he truly thinks he knows what's best for everyone.

Salazar could throw caution to the wind and tell Albus the truth. Salazar could tell him that he was Salazar Slytherin and that Gordy was Godric Gryffindor, but that would only lead to questions that Salazar didn't want to answer. He didn't want to explain about the Potters, nor did he want to tell Albus about his friendship with Severus, Minerva, Poppy, and Remus. He didn't trust Albus enough to not mess anything up, or to sabotage his plans in some way.

He just couldn't take that chance.

So for now he would bide his time. Albus would eventually confide in someone. Salazar just hoped that the information would be useful and not full of Albus's mindless drivel.

* * *

***A/N* Whew! Like i said, it was a long one, and it looks like Godric isnt the only one to open his mouth and insert his foot! Salazar let a few things slip as well, but we shall see if Albus catches on, and Hermione as well. ;) I know it was a bit heavy at the end, but i hope you all enjoyed the laughs! I tried to find a balance, and i think i did ok. Please let me know what you think! Thanks to all of you have have F, F, & R'd. I know i say it all the time, but you guys rock and i am grateful for you all! **


	28. Dementor Attack

***A/N* PLEASE READ VERY IMPORTANT! All right guys, apparently i have to address some ****grievances that some of you have, so this A/N is going to be a VERY long. If you have no problems and are happy with this story as it is, you can skip this drivel and dive into the chapter. If you have a grievance or if you are curious to what i have to say, then PLEASE I BEG YOU...keep reading.**

**1. Lack of Romance **

**Salazar is a 1000 year old man. These are children. Period. Not only is that type of relationship illegal where i come from, it's just plain creepy to me. As for Salazar and Godric, they are best friends. That is all. The only couple that will be in this story is the cannon pairing of Nicholas and Perenelle. **

**2. Lack of typical Slytherin!Harry cliches **

**Every single Slytherin!Harry story i have read makes Harry and Draco bestest best buddies, or makes Harry find the love of his life in Daphene, or makes him become life long friends with Pansy, Millicent, and Tracey. And sometimes all three of those things.**

**Not this story.**

**He is Harry freaking Potter, Slytherin Enemy #2, second only to Dumbledore, and ranked just above mudbloods and blood-traitors alike. If you want to read a typical Slytherin!Harry story then i suggest you hit the back button. I don't mean to be rude, but that is just how it is. I had someone go off on me because Pansy, Millicent, Tracey, and Daphene have barely been mentioned, and the fact that Salazar is not acting like your typical Slytherin!Harry. The girls aren't major players in this story. Pansy may have some face time in year 4, but i havent decided yet.**

**3. Salazar Himself**

**I have said this before and i will say this again. Salazar is not perfect, he is human. He makes mistakes. THIS WHOLE STORY IS BECAUSE OF A MISTAKE! Everything was supposed to go according to plan. The Potters were supposed to be presumed dead, and Salazar was supposed to hunt down all the horcruxes and kill Voldy when the time came. That is not what happened...obviously. He is now trying to make the best of a bad situation the only way he knows how, by being a Slytherin.**

**He is human, not a superhero! For example...**

**So what if he freaked out over a bite from Nora because he was half asleep and not fully awake, that makes him human. So what if he makes a bone headed decision and it backfires, that makes him human. So what if he slips up and says something he shouldn't, that makes him human. I have tried SO SO SO hard to keep him from being a Gary-Stu. (That is the male version of a Mary-Sue, and if you don't know what a Mary-Sue is, please google it.) Sometimes i find myself having to reel him in a bit. He is powerful enough as it is, he doesn't need anything to 'make himself better'.**

**Also, his attitude in general. Salazar knows that not all Slytherins are evil. I have mentioned before that there are both neutral and light Slytherins, and this makes Salazar happy and gives him hope for the future of his house. The story just focuses on the dark ones. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, Flint, and Montague. Salazar KNOWS they are children, and he has already admitted that he made a HUGE mistake where Draco is concerned, but Salazar's #1 flaw is that when he looks at those boys, he sees their fathers. **

**It is wrong, i know that, but I say again, HE IS HUMAN!**

**He is blinded by his hate for Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and when those boys do things that are similar to Death Eater antics, he cant stand it and lashes out. That makes him human.**

**If you want to read a Gary-Stu Salazar story, where Salazar is perfect, makes all the right decisions, doesnt mess up one little bit, and loves everyone no matter what, then hit the back button because this story will disappoint you. People are going to die because of Salazar's decisions, and im not going to say any more about that.**

**4. Dumbledore**

**He is not evil, he's manipulative, and a bit...misguided, if you will. If you have been reading and paying attention, you will realize that he actually learned from his mistake last year. None of the students are in danger because of HIM this year. Yes, the dementors are there because he slipped up and said something to Fudge, it's sort of his fault and he's been trying to do everything in his power to get those things removed. It hasn't worked yet. Salazar has everything under control as far as the basilisk goes, so no problems there, and Sirius isnt a bad guy, so again, no problems there.**

**The problem some of you seem to have is that he keeps putting Harry in danger. Which makes me think some of you arent paying attention. Salazar is Harry. He's not ACTUALLY a child. Salazar doenst really care what Albus does to him, because he's an adult and can handle it. Salazar cares about how Albus's actions effect the school and the students, but so far this year, all Albus has done is follow Harry around to keep tabs on him. Which leads me too...**

**5. The Diary Horcrux and all the other Horcruxes**

**Salazar and company, Albus, and all the others are characters in a story. They dont know everything that we as fans of the HP universe know. They are trying their best to come up with solutions to problems that they are facing. I said this way back in Ch. 4, just because we as fans know all there is to know about everything, doesnt mean that the characters do. They are trying to figure things out. Just because a solution to a problem is glaringly obvious to us, doenst mean it automatically has to be to them. They are not going to save the day in two or three chapters. Half the fun is watching them get to what we know is coming, so i apologize if everyone is not living happily ever after yet. They will get to the horcruxes when they get to them.**

**6. Ron and Draco**

**They are snot nosed little twelve year old brats. Not Adults...yet. They will grow up. Please be patient.**

**7. Me**

**Im either dragging this story out, or im going to fast and not building characters and the story line properly. Which is it? I can only provide you with 95% of the story, the rest is up to YOUR imagination. I am not a professional writer, and i make mistakes. I cannot write out every single conversation that Salazar has with every single character that he comes in contact with. Not even JKR did that. We all had to use our imagination with certain parts of the story. You guys have to meet me part of the way. If i dropped the ball and forgot to write that a character said something that they should have, please use your imagination and pretend that they did. If i havent touched upon something that you have been wondering about, please either wait for it to come up in the story, ask in a review or a PM, or pretend it already happened in whatever way you wish. Im not a professional. Im just me.**

**8. The Elephant in the Room  
**

**Salazar has not announced to the world who he, Godric, and Merlin are simply because I dont want them too. There wouldnt be a story if they did because this story is already mapped out. If you dont like that, then im sorry. Would Albus step aside and bow to their wisdom and knowledge? Yes, he would. Then there would be no conflict until Voldy pops out the cauldron. So if that is what you want, i can skip ahead right now and get to that point. Which would completly ruin the whole thing. As i said, half the fun is seeing what gets the characters to what we know is coming BUT ALSO seeing how they react when we get there.**

**Salazar is protecting the Potters. If he were to announce who he, Godric and Merlin are, then the #1 question would be...If you are Salazar Slytherin, then where is Harry Potter? That would put the Potters in danger from both Voldemort AND Albus. We would see Albus jet set off to Rio and drag them back kicking and screaming because 'Harry has a destiny and he must full fill it'. ALSO it would bring Voldy down on top of the Potters heads, and he would kill them all. Then all of Salazar's hard work would be for naught, and once again, we would have no story.**

**I have already said that things are going to be VASTLY different in and around 5th year. Until then, it's somewhat cannon with my own little twist. All i ask is that you sit back and enjoy the ride. If you cant and the story and characters are too much for you to handle, or your getting bored, then you know where your back button is. I hate to see you go. I really do, and i know that a lot of you will probably leave because of what i have said, and i am so very sorry for that. Im sorry that this story isnt what you hoped it would be, but it's my story.**

**Im sorry I have gone off and ranted, but these things needed to be said. I love everyone who has F, F, & R'd, and all who have PM'd me. Without you, i probably wouldnt have gotten this far, but i obviously needed to clear a few things up with those who have these problems with my story. I love your suggestion, ideas, praise, and believe it or not...criticism. However, when you start attacking me personally, and start calling me bad names for my 'unoriginal, POS of a story', and start DEMANDING that i write this a certain way because YOU dont like how it's going...you've gone to far buddy. **

**Sorry for the upcoming bad language, but yes, the asshat cowardly guest reviewer who said all that, and more, got deleted...promptly.**

**Now that the air has been cleared and things have been addressed, on with chapter...**

* * *

**Chapter 28**

**Dementor Attack**

"Hermione are you coming?" Neville asked, as he wrapped his red and gold scarf around his neck, at the same time Colin slipped on his heavy winter cloak.

She looked up from her pile of parchment, scrunched up her nose, and shook her head. "No, you guys go on. You know I'm not that interested in Quidditch unless Gryffindor is playing. I'll stay here where it's warm." She said with a laugh.

"You just don't understand Quidditch." Neville said with a teasing grin. "But all right. I know we have a test coming up soon for Potions. We'll let you study, but if you do decide to join us, Harry has made a deal with Hufflepuff to let us all sit with them today, so that's where we will all be."

"All right. Thanks you guys." She said with an appreciative smile.

Neville and Colin were the last to leave the common room, and she watched them go before she shuffled through her stack of parchment. With one more cautious look around to make sure she was alone, she pulled out a single sheet and carefully placed it on the top.

Yesterday, when the boys were preoccupied with getting that silly snake ready, she had finally managed to get the last thing she needed, which was Gordy's middle name. She had asked him what it was, and now she was now finally able to, hopefully, solve a puzzle that she had had on her mind for nearly two weeks.

Hermione sighed as she gazed at the random assortment of letters she had written down, but she decided to dismiss what she already had written, and start over.

G-O-R-D-Y C-I-G-R-D R-O-F-F-I-N

"Ok, now I know that Gryffindor just _has_ to be in there." She mumbled. "It's just so obvious."

GRYFFINDOR

"Gryffindor." She said with a triumphant grin. "But what about the other letters? I know it's an anagram. I just know it!" She exclaimed to the empty room. "Think Hermione, think!"

Now armed with the knowledge of Gordy's middle name, she decided to write the rest of the letters out to make them clearer to her.

C-I-G-R-D-O

"There is a name there, I just know there is." She mumbled.

Her mind began whirling as she continued to stare at the letters for what seemed like a half an hour, then it suddenly hit her like a stack of books.

"Godric." She breathed, as she stared at the letters with wide eyes. "Godric Gryffindor."

She placed her head down on the table, and shook it from side to side.

"That's not possible. It just can't be. Gordy can't be Godric Gryffindor."

_I am proud of you, you honor Gryffindor with your bravery._

Gordy's words from the night before floated around in her head, and tears welled up in her eyes as all the signs suddenly came together.

"Harry calls him 'Godric' as a joke, and Gordy calls Harry…Salazar." She said breathlessly.

_I'm the Heir of Gryffindor!_

_Gordy told me about a book. _

_You bloody Gryffindor!_

_The Gryffindor in Slytherin robes. _

_Welcome to Hogwarts circa 1992 where all Slytherins are the devil, and Gryffindors can do no wrong._

"He knows. Harry knows he's Godric Gryffindor." She said as she paced back and forth across the common room. "And Harry isn't Harry Potter, he's Salazar Slytherin." She gasped, as she stopped dead in her tracks and stared up at the ceiling. "That is a big leap though."

_I read about it in a book._

_I can teach you a new spell._

_Do you want to learn a new spell?_

_All right I'll teach you Parseltongue._

_Spare me the 'too young' speech Headmaster, it is you who is too young to know what you are talking about._

That last thought made Hermione sink into a nearby chair, and a brief moment of fear pierced her heart.

"He _is_ Salazar Slytherin." She whispered, as her eyes darted around nervously. "What do I do now?"

Hermione glanced around anxiously as she tried to figure out what to do, but then she sighed.

_I'm not going to do anything._ She thought. _There just isn't enough information for me to act on._

"I'll watch and wait to see if I need to tell anyone. Maybe someone already knows." She said out loud. "But why, and more importantly how, are two of the four Founders here? Are we in danger? Will Salazar hurt us?"

_No._ She thought immediately, as she stood up and started to pace around the room again.

As she searched her memories, she realized that Harry…err…Salazar…had only ever helped them. Like the time he helped Neville with his wand issues, and all the spells he taught them on the side. He joked with them, played pranks with them, and even let the twins prank him multiple times. He was their friend for sure, but more importantly, he was first and foremost…

_A Professor._ She thought with a smile.

Her thoughts also strayed to the Chamber and what it all could mean. Salazar supposedly built that Chamber and placed a monster in there to attack muggle borns, but she knew that wasn't true. Salazar was her and Colin's friend, and they both were muggle borns. Even the Headmaster had said that the Chamber and the monster was there to protect the school.

_And surely Godric Gryffindor wouldn't go around and let Salazar attack muggle borns._ She thought.

There was still a lot of things she didn't understand though. How were they able to be here? They would be over a thousand years old by now. Why were they here? What's the real story with Harry Potter? Being a muggle born, she didn't know much about it. She only knew what she had read. Was there something more to it?

_It's possible._ She thought. _But_ _what about Dumbledore?_

She thought back to the confrontation that happened last night and began to fret.

_He is an unworthy Gryffindor. UNWORTHY!_ Gordy…err…Godric Gryffindor had said that.

_Harry and Gordy…I might as well keep calling them that…don't seem to like the Headmaster all that much. But why?_ She asked herself as she walked over to the window and stared out of it.

There was a lot of things she didn't agree with that the Headmaster had done. Like last year, what kind of educator allows dangerous animals to be locked up in a school? None that she could think of really. And what about last night? The Headmaster seems to think low of children just because they are children.

_Your problem is that you can't see past age. Yours, or ours._

Gordy had said that too.

"But he is right." Hermione whispered as she looked out over the grounds. "Just because we are children doesn't mean that we can't be useful. We may not know everything, but we can still help in some ways. Especially if someone takes the time to teach us what we need to know. Just because we are children doesn't mean we are stupid. We just need to learn."

In her heart, she knew that Gordy and Harry would never put them in danger, so she wasn't concerned about that. They cared too much about children because, after all, they had started a _school_.

"I won't do anything. I won't tell anyone what I know." She said firmly.

She walked back to her piece of parchment, wadded it up, and threw it in the fireplace. Then she nodded her head firmly as she watched it burn.

"I will just watch. _Someone_ has to know who they really are, and there must be a really good reason why they are doing what they are doing. There must be a really good reason why Salazar Slytherin is posing as Harry Potter, and it isn't my place to oust them. However, if I feel like someone needs to know or I feel like there is danger, I'll go to Professor McGonagall. She will know what to do." She stated, as she grabbed a poker and poked at the ashes of the parchment so that they would fall to the bottom.

Then she stood up, smiled, and looked toward the window. "Perhaps I'll go watch the game after all."

* * *

_"Speaker, I can't believe you dragged me out here in this cold freezing weather. Neither Slytherin nor Gryffindor is playing today."_ Nora said as she coiled around his upper chest in an effort to keep warm. _"Why didn't you leave me inside?_

_"Because you wanted to come. I tried to tell you that you would be better off in the dorms, laying on your rock."_

_"Well you shouldn't have listened to me then."_ She replied with a huff.

_"And then you would have done nothing but complain about me leaving you behind."_ He said, and she hissed loudly in response, but Salazar just laughed. _"I do agree with you though my dear. I don't know why they can't play Quidditch in warmer weather."_

"Oh shut up Salazar." Godric whispered with chuckle. "I swear, you complain more than an old bitter shrew."

"How dare you compare me with Petunia Dursley!?" He grinned. "I ought to turn you into a pig. That way you'd match Vernon and Dudley."

_"Do it speaker!"_ Nora said gleefully. _"That way I can watch Jolly run around squealing!"_

Godric wasn't paying attention to them now though, because he was too busy cheering at the fact that Hufflepuff had just scored a goal.

"He completely missed that save! Come on Ravenclaw keeper, get it together!" Blaise yelled.

"I thought we said you all had to cheer for Hufflepuff only?" A grinning sixth year Hufflepuff teased.

"Yeah, that was the requirement in order for you to be able to sit with us." A third year said.

"Well my family _did_ donate the brooms to Ravenclaw." Blaise grinned. "You can't hold it against me."

"All right. I suppose." The sixth year laughed.

"Come on Cedric! Go, go, go! NOOO! UGH!" Colin shouted, at the same time Neville yelled, "That's not right!"

The Hufflepuff stands groaned and booed loudly because the Ravenclaw seeker had just barreled into him and knocked him off course, which made him lose sight of the snitch.

"He had been so close!" Godric shouted, shaking his fist at the Ravenclaw seeker. "I call that dirty!"

"I agree Gordy!" Neville shouted over the noise.

"But it was a nice, _legal_, play." Blaise laughed, which caused everyone around to lightly swat him with various objects.

Blaise just laughed again, and they once more focused on the game. The entire crowd was bundled up in thick heavy cloaks as they watched the two teams face off, but despite the cold, windy, and cloudy day, everyone was having a good time.

The score was 80 to 90, and Hufflepuff was in the lead. The game had been going on for about forty-five minutes already, and had been highly competitive so far. The brooms did a lot for both teams, but because of the even advantage, they only had their flying skills and athletic talent to help win the game.

"Hey you lot, what's the score?"

"Hermione!" Neville cried. "You decided to join us after all?"

"Yeah I think I've studied enough about the swelling solution to know it by know."

Salazar turned to look at her. "Are you sure? Because if you don't add enough puffer fish eyes it could explode."

She looked at him and smiled. "You tried to trick me!" She exclaimed. "The recipe calls for three of them, but if you add any more than four to correct any mistakes, _then _it will explode."

"Very good. Just keep that in mind because knowing Professor Snape, it will be on the test Monday." Salazar said with a wide grin, just as the Hufflepuff stands began booing again.

"Thanks Harry, I will." She said with a thankful smile.

"You're welcome." He said, then he turned to Godric. "What happened? Why are we booing?"

"If you had been paying attention, you would have known that the score is now tied." He replied with a huff.

"I was discussing lessons you idiot!" Salazar shouted.

Godric laughed and grinned. "Oh, well I suppose that is a legitimate reason."

"I should hope so." Salazar said dryly, trying to unsuccessfully kick Godric in the small space.

Hermione giggled as she watched them bicker back and forth. Their attitudes, conversations, and the things they said made a lot more sense now that she had figured out the truth. She knew it was going to be fun to watch the two of them from now on.

Suddenly both the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw stands were screaming loudly as both team's seekers shot up into the grey sky. Everyone knew they had spotted the snitch, and everyone cheered their hardest for their seeker to get to it first.

But it was not to be.

The excited screams soon turned into terrified ones as a hundred black cloaked figures swooped down from the sky and into the pitch and the stands. Most of the players landed immediately and began running for shelter, but a few of them began to fall.

"Godric the players! Some of them fell off their brooms!" Salazar shouted.

"I'm on it!"

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

A ten foot python emerged from the end of his wand and joined the sudden appearance of a cat, a wolf, a doe, a phoenix, and several non-corporal patronuses. Across the pitch, they saw Albus helping Godric with the falling players, and Godric's large hawk patronus joined the fray as soon as those players were safely on the ground.

Spells were flying every which way as the students tried in vain to keep the dementors at bay, but most kept their heads down and covered, as the effects of the dementors began to take hold.

"Harry! The seekers! The seekers!" Hermione cried, grabbing a hold of his robes in panic as she pointed towards the sky.

With one hand on his basilisk hide wand directing his patronus to attack the overwhelming swarm of dementors, he plunged his other hand into his robes and brought out the holly and phoenix feather wand, and managed to slow Cedric's fall with it. He may not have cared about the holly wand before now, but he did have to agree with what Albus had said last year about having a backup.

Unfortunately though, he couldn't save them both.

He watched in horror as Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw seeker, continued to fall. There was nothing more Salazar could do, but Godric saw what was happening.

"NEHUM!"

A bright ball of flames appeared over the Hufflepuff stands, and Godric quickly pointed towards the falling girl. Nehum immediately vanished and reappeared above her. He caught her just in time, and they breathed a sigh of relief as he gently set Cho down. Cedric grabbed her hand and they immediately began running for shelter.

Another bright ball of flames suddenly appeared in the middle of the pitch as Fawkes arrived. He joined Nehum, and the two phoenixes began circling the pitch and started to sing. This seemed to give the ones who had cast the patronuses a recharge, and several more cats, wolves, does, and phoenix patronuses filled the sky. Now that they didn't have any more falling players to worry about, Godric cast several more hawk patronuses, and Salazar was able to cast a few more pythons.

"What can we do!?" Neville cried as he stood up and began trying to fight off the dementors.

"Just keep your head down!" Salazar shouted, as he sent a python flying into a dementor that dared to get close to the boy. "There is nothing more that can be done at the moment."

"Will you teach us that spell?" Hermione asked as she pulled Neville back down.

Salazar looked at the two Gryffindors and nodded slightly. "I can try." He answered.

It continued on this way for several more minutes before the dementors fled from the attacking patronuses, but finally the sky was clear of the nasty beings and one by one the patronuses began to disappear.

All around them students were crying, and several were bleeding from the minor cuts and scrapes they had received from falling and hitting their heads. Salazar looked around and took a deep breath.

"Ok you lot, listen up!" He shouted, while clapping his hands to get everyone's attention. "Those of you that require medical attention, over there!" He said, pointing towards one side of the stands. "Those of you who do not, please make your way back to your common room in an orderly fashion. If you have chocolate, eat some because it will help you feel better. If you have enough to share with your house mates, please do so. Now is not the time to be selfish with your candy stashes."

Nearly all of them nodded numbly and began doing what Salazar had told them too, but one second year Hufflepuff by the name of Zacharias Smith stood up and glared at him.

"And who are you to tell us what to do?" He said defiantly. "You're just a stupid Slytherin and you don't belong over here anyway."

"Shut up Smith!" Susan Bones snapped. "You're nothing but a bleeding coward! I saw you hiding _under _several _first _years! He saved your unworthy bum, and all that he said makes sense and is correct!"

"Don't talk to me that way Bones!" He shouted. Then he turned, and stomped away.

Susan rolled her eyes and turned to face Salazar and the others, who were glaring at Smith's retreating form.

"Sorry about him. He is full of himself because he claims to be a descendent of Helga Hufflepuff, and he believes we should all fall down and worship at his feet. Most of us think he's lying or mental."

Godric shot Salazar a look and snorted. "He certainly doesn't act the way Helga did. I vote both, lying _and _mental."

Salazar just shook his head. "Possibly, but let's get you all sorted out." He said, looking Susan over with a sharp eye. "Are you all right?"

She smiled at him and nodded. "Yes, I think so. I just have a small scrape on my arm, but I'll be all right. I'm going to head to my dorm. I have chocolate, and I'll be sharing it with my dorm mates."

"Very good. Thank you. I'm sure Professor Sprout will be along soon, so if you need anything, make sure you speak up."

"I will, thanks Harry. I saw what you and…Gordy…right?" She asked, and Godric nodded. "I saw what you all did, and I thank you for helping us."

"It was no trouble." Godric said with a smile. "But run along now, we need to attend to those who are hurt."

"You're right. Thank you again." Susan replied with a grateful smile. Then she headed off to find her friends.

Salazar and Godric glanced around. The Hufflepuff stands were nearly empty now, and there was only the ones needing medical attention left. Godric went over to them, called for Nehum, and told them to grab a hold of his tail so that he could transport them to the hospital wing.

Most of them stared in awe at the phoenix, and were probably wondering why a Slytherin, of all people, would have one, but they complied and Godric watched as they left.

Meanwhile, Salazar turned to look over Hermione, Blaise, Colin, and Neville to make sure they weren't hurt. He sighed with relief when he realized they were all right.

"Hermione, Colin, and Neville you all need to find the rest of Gryffindor house and go with them. Professor McGonagall is likely taking a head count, and will no doubt worry about you if she can't find you. Blaise, head down with them and find Slytherin house. Professor Snape is likely doing the same. We will be right behind you."

They all nodded and began heading off in that direction. Salazar watched them go, and took the time to look around again. The pitch was nearly empty, but there were a few stragglers that checking up on friends from other houses. However, they soon moved off and the pitch as finally empty. He turned to Godric, who was also watching the stragglers.

"We need to go. We may be needed elsewhere."

"This should not have happened Salazar." He answered gravely as he stared out over the pitch. "The Ministry should be held accountable for this. Hogwarts is plenty safe, and there is no need for those _things_ to be here."

"I know, but let's get going." Salazar whispered as they began to head down the stairs. "I don't know about you, but I could use some chocolate. I don't have any though."

"I don't have any either, but I can sneak off the grounds, return to my adult form, and get some from Honeydukes."

"Use my personal tunnel. I'll also give you some galleons when we get back to the common room. Try to get as much chocolate as you can. Slytherin house isn't likely to share."

"I know." Godric whispered sadly.

They were halfway down the stairs when they ran into Professor Sprout breathlessly making her way up.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Roffin!" She exclaimed. "Are you two all right?"

"Yes ma'am." Salazar answered. "We are the last ones down. I have sent most of the students to the Hufflepuff common room, but those that needed medical attention have already been sent to the hospital wing. I hope you will forgive me for taking charge, but I told your house to remain there until you arrived. I also told them to eat some chocolate, and to share with those that don't have any."

She stared at him for a few moments, but then she slowly nodded. "How many were hurt?"

"Ten were hurt badly enough to go to Madam Pomfrey." Godric answered. "Most just had a few scrapes, but those with head wounds and more serious cuts were transported by Nehum, my phoenix, to the hospital wing."

Her eyes widened at his words. "That was _your_ phoenix alongside Fawkes?"

"Yes ma'am." He answered simply as they reached the bottom.

"I-I saw a large snakes and hawks defending the Hufflepuff stands. Was…was that…you two?"

"Yes." Salazar replied quietly.

She stared at them again with wide eyes, but before she could speak, they heard someone approaching from behind.

"POTTER! ROFFIN!"

The three of them turned sharply to find Severus quickly making his way towards them. He looked shaken up, but otherwise seemed to be all right.

"Severus," Professor Sprout began, stepping in front of the two Founders. "Please don't be hard on them. They helped so much. It was them. The snake and the hawk. I don't know how they were able to cast those patronuses, but they defended my Hufflepuffs and helped them afterwards. Please Severus, I beg you. Don't be hard on them." She asked, giving him a pleading look.

Severus glanced from Professor Sprout to Salazar and Godric and nodded curtly.

"Very well." He answered.

"Thank you." She said with a breathless sigh. Then she turned to the 'children'. "I'll take my leave now. Mr. Potter, Mr. Roffin, I know it's not much, but it's all I can do to show my gratitude. Thirty points to the both of you."

They both smiled kindly at her and nodded. "It was no trouble at all, but thank you." Godric said.

She nodded her head in acknowledgement, then hurried towards the castle. When she was out of earshot, Severus spoke.

"Sir, have you seen Mr. Zabini?"

"Yes, Blaise was with us and he is fine. We sent him to the common room. If she hasn't found them already, let Minerva know that Hermione, Colin, and Neville were with us, and they were also all right. I sent them on ahead to Gryffindor tower." Salazar answered, and Severus nodded.

"What is going to be done about this situation?" Godric asked curiously.

"I don't know for sure, but to be honest, I've never seen Albus so angry. As soon as the danger passed, he made sure the rest of us in the staff stands were all right, then he stormed off down the stairs. My guess is, he is going to the Ministry."

"I don't doubt it." Salazar replied. "I know he didn't want those nasty things here anymore than the rest of us did."

"I agree. I'm heading to Honeydukes to get some chocolate. The Fidelius Charm on my house negates the anti-apparition and disapparition jinxes on the grounds. I'll just apparate from there. I don't want to get near those dementors, and your personal tunnel runs right into them at the front gate."

"What about the galleons I need to give you?"

"Salazar, don't worry about that. I have the money. It's fine." Godric replied, as he began heading into the forest.

They watched him go, but then Salazar sighed heavily and turned to Severus. "How many were hurt?"

"Several from Ravenclaw and two from Slytherin were almost kissed, but they will be fine. Over twenty students were hurt badly and were sent to Poppy."

"All right, she may need some help. I'll keep an eye on Slytherin house, but I need you to go and see what you can do to help her. In fact, do you know the potion that we were working on over the summer?"

"The one that is the equivalent to phoenix tears?" Severus asked with a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Yes. Please go to my flat and get it. It could be of use here, if Nehum and Fawkes aren't already helping. Use Godric's home to get off the grounds. I know he won't mind if you do."

"Yes sir. What of letting Minerva know about Granger, Longbottom, and Creevey?" Severus asked.

"I'll let her know, if she doesn't already." Salazar answered.

Severus nodded, and then he too headed into the forest towards Godric's house. Salazar sighed, bowed his head against the cold, bitter wind, and began heading up the long path towards the castle.

* * *

He did see Minerva at the front doors when he got there, but thankfully Hermione had already found her. When Salazar finally arrived in the Slytherin common room though, he was thoroughly disgusted by what he saw.

Several of the older students were hogging their own chocolate, and not sharing with the younger children who didn't have any. Draco and company were downing chocolate frog after chocolate frog, and were barely taking a break to breathe. Salazar knew the effects of the dementors were bad, he was feeling them himself, but this was downright shameful.

"Harry, there you are." Blaise said quietly, coming up behind him.

"Are you all right?"

"Physically yes, but…" Blaise trailed off and shook his head.

"I know. Just sit down." Salazar whispered. "Gordy has snuck off the grounds and has gone to Honeydukes in Hogsmeade for some chocolate. He will…"

"Give it back Flint!" Someone suddenly shouted.

Salazar looked up to see Marcus Flint snatching a few bars of chocolate out of the hands of some of the known neutral Slytherins. He drew his wand, and nearly stomped over to the boy.

"You heard them Flint. Give it back." He said in a low dangerous voice. He was not in the mood to play nice right now.

Marcus turned to look at him and started laughing. "Potter, your little guard dog isn't here to save your skin. What did he do, fall prey to the dementors? I suggest you mind your own business."

"That is theirs, you need to back off!"

"You know Potter," Flint said tossing the chocolate bars back at the neutral Slytherins. "I don't know how you ended up in Slytherin. You don't even act like one. Your emotions show plainly on your face, and it is perfectly clear where you stand. You should try a little more subtlety."

"And you and your little buddy Montague, who I know is standing behind me, need to try a little more common sense. You do not want to irritate me right now."

Flint narrowed his eyes. "You're not a Slytherin Potter, and you are fixing to be very sorry for getting sorted into this house." He said dangerously. "NOW!"

Salazar instantly dropped to the floor, which caused whatever spell Flint and Montague had cast to hit each other. They cried out in pain and fell on their bums, but Salazar rolled over onto his knees, stood up, and immediately transfigured both boys into very ornate looking dark wooden chairs, with red and gold color padding for the seats and back.

Blaise started laughing and levitated one of the chairs over to the fireplace and sat down in it. Salazar glared at the two chairs and also levitated the other one to the fireplace, but he didn't sit down. Instead, he looked around with a scowl on his face.

"Pigs, the lot of you. Oh how Slytherin house has fallen. Most of you are a disgrace." He spat. "To those who are sharing, I thank you. To those who are not, shame on you and your selfishness."

"Are we redecorating?" An amused voice asked from the common room door.

Salazar didn't need to turn around to know who it belonged to, he just continued to glare at the pigs that were clearly on display. "I'm thinking about it. Did you get enough?"

"Yeah, after I explained what happened to the owners, I bought all of what Honeydukes had. They even threw some chocolate in for free. I've already been by the hospital wing to drop some off in case Madam Pomfrey needed it. She said Ravenclaw was bad off, and that she and Flitwick would be passing it all out to them soon."

"All right." Salazar said. "How many Slytherins are in the hospital wing?"

"Only the two who were almost kissed. Adrian Pucey and Pansy Parkinson, though they were being nasty to Madam Pomfrey and were trying to demand her full attention. I did her a favor and stunned them before I left."

"Godric how could you do that! They were almost kissed!" He shouted.

"I don't care!" He shot back. "Those nasty, arrogant, pompous arses weren't even displaying signs of it like the others! It looked to me like they just said that to get some attention! You and I both know the signs, and they were not showing any!"

Salazar sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry. Perhaps you're right, and honestly, I wouldn't put it past those two to do something like that."

"I know I'm hot-headed Salazar, but I'd hope you'd give me a little more credit than that." Godric replied gruffly.

He looked at his friend apologetically and nodded. "I'm sorry. It's just…"

"The dementor's effects are getting to us both right now, don't apologize. It's fine." Godric said, taking a deep breath as he leaned against a table. "Here, eat this." He continued, placing a chocolate frog into Salazar's hand. "Nice chairs by the way."

Salazar passed the chocolate frog off to a nearby first year who still looked shaken up, and chuckled a bit. "Yeah, I call them Flint and Montague."

"And they are very comfortable." Blaise added, as he began to help the two Founders pass out chocolate frogs and bars to those who needed it.

Some in the house, including Blaise, watched them carefully though. Blaise knew that they called each other Salazar and Godric as a joke, but this time didn't seem like a joke and he began to wonder if there was more to everything than what meets the eye.

Draco and company narrowed their eyes at Blaise, Salazar, and Godric, and Salazar didn't need to use legilimency to know what they were thinking. They eyed all the chocolate that Godric had dumped out on the table, and he knew that Severus would be hearing about Godric's little foray off of the grounds. He just couldn't help but chuckle.

When they made sure everyone that needed the chocolate had it, they sat down in the new chairs. Salazar had no intentions of leaving the two fifth years that way for very long, just long enough to give pause to those who dared to cross him. He was tired of the abuse that was constantly being thrown his way, and he was not going to put up with it anymore. Flint and Montague were not in any pain, but as he and Blaise took their new 'seats', those that were in the common room glanced in their direction with a mixture of fear and loathing from those who were not so friendly, and gratitude from those that were.

Blaise continued to watch Salazar and Godric closely though, and the tension that was between them moments ago started to vanish as they sat and ate their chocolate frogs. It completely broke however, when Blaise looked down at the recent frog he had just opened.

"Here Gordy. I think you should have this card. He does seem to be your hero after all."

Godric gave him a quizzical look and took it from him, then he began to laugh loudly. "Godric Gryffindor." He said simply.

"Really!?" Salazar asked with excitement, and Godric passed the card off to him. "Hmm, you know, it is my duty as a true Slytherin to give this card the treatment it deserves." He said with a playful grin as he took a quill out of his pocket.

They watched as he made a few scribble marks, and then he held it up with a snort. Godric's image was now scowling at them because of the defacement, and the fact that Salazar had drawn devil's horns above him.

Godric began laughing loudly again and took the card and quill from him. He made a few scribble marks of his own, then held it up to reveal the pitch fork that he had drawn. Blaise took it from with a grin, made his own scribble marks, and placed it on the table to reveal the tail he had drawn.

Godric's image was scowling worse than ever now, and he shook his tiny little fist at them. This only made the three of them laugh even more, but Blaise caught something in the image that made him pause, and he stared at it.

"What is it Blaise?" Godric asked, as he caught the look on the young lad's face.

"What? Oh nothing." He replied glancing at Godric. "It just looked like he laughed for a moment. It was rather odd, but I think it's my mind playing tricks on me."

"You're tired." Salazar commented.

Blaise sighed and rubbed his head. "Yeah I think so. Do you think I could take an hours nap without waking up to find the common room in shambles because of the two of you?" He asked with a small chuckle.

"I think so." Salazar answered with an amused twinkle in his eye. "You go on and get some sleep. We will be fine."

Blaise nodded, picked up the card with a grin, and headed for the dorms. When he got to his bed, he laid down with a tired sigh and looked at the still scowling image. He lied about it laughing of course, but there was something in the image's eyes that had made him pause. If he pictured the image without the red beard and long hair, the image would look just like an older version of Gordy. He had seen the same exact scowl on Gordy's face before. In fact, he had seen it just last night, and the day that Draco called Hermione a mudblood and was bragging about his broom.

Blaise didn't know what to think about this new situation, and as he fell asleep, he decided that he would take his thoughts to Hermione and get her opinion on them.

* * *

Despite what had happened that morning, Neville didn't feel like sitting still in the common room and decided to wander about the castle in order to clear his head. Colin had decided to take his mind off things by developing rolls of film from the last few weeks. Hermione was currently curled up in an armchair by the fireplace reading, and Fred and George were busy trying to lighten the mood of everyone in Gryffindor Tower by playing pranks on each other.

Neville just didn't feel like sharing in their laughter at the moment. He had a lot of things on his mind, and most notably, the confrontation with Dumbledore the night before.

He was angry with the Headmaster for his remarks last night. How could the man stand in front of him and plead for the life of someone like Bellatrix Lestrange? He didn't have the answer to that question, but he liked what Harry had to say on the matter. Neville didn't know if he had it in his heart to take a life, he was only twelve after all, but he knew that if he ever came face to face with Bellatrix that he would have a few things to say.

He also knew that he'd probably find himself at the end of her wand for doing it.

Neville didn't care though. His Gram had been straight forward when he had asked for the details about what had happened to his parents. He had only been seven at the time, but even as shy as he was back then, he made a vow to at least look Bellatrix in the eyes and tell her exactly what he thought of her.

That's all he wanted really.

Harry was a fighter, and Neville desperately wanted to be a fighter too. He knew that if he stuck with Harry that he may possibly get the chance he was hoping for, and if he listened to Albus Dumbledore he would not.

Neville knew, even if she didn't speak it out loud, that his Gram blamed the Headmaster for his parent's condition, and it was for that reason his Gram had a very low opinion of the man. Neville himself had always held off judging him, but after last night, he agreed with his Gram and decided to write her and let her know exactly what had taken place the night before. With that decision firmly in his mind, he changed directions and began the long trek back to the common room.

* * *

Albus sighed wearily as he looked around at the staff that had gathered in the staff lounge. It was late in the evening, just before curfew, and he had called this meeting to discuss his conversation with the Minister earlier that day.

Which, unfortunately, wasn't much.

"Before we get started on the real reason we are here, Poppy, may I inquire about those still in the hospital wing?"

"Of course Albus." She replied with a nod. "Severus has been a major help for me today. Calming draughts were flying off the self and chocolate was being devoured at a steady rate. Severus was able to help me by attending to those needs, while I concentrated on the more serious things. Those who were nearly kissed are recovering at an excellent rate, and should be released tomorrow. Other than them, no one else warranted at stay in the wing."

"Very good. I'm glad to hear that. Severus, thank you for helping." Albus said tiredly, and Severus nodded in acknowledgement. "Also, during the attack there were two patronuses that I didn't recognize. A snake and a hawk. Does anyone have any idea where they came from?"

Severus, Remus, Poppy, and Minerva glanced nervously at one another, while everyone else shook their head. However, Professor Sprout looked at Albus and nodded.

"I do Headmaster." She stated softly. "It was Mr. Potter and Mr. Roffin. From my vantage point I could see those patronuses were protecting my Hufflepuffs. When the attack was over, I quickly made my way over to the stands and came upon Mr. Potter and Mr. Roffin making their way down. They told me it was them, and I also learned that the other phoenix that showed up belongs to Mr. Roffin. His name is Nehum. Mr. Roffin used his phoenix to transport the Hufflepuffs that were hurt to Poppy."

"Ten students did arrive by phoenix. That phoenix also willingly gave up tears to help with the more serious that were wounded." Poppy added. "Severus did help with that as well. He provided a potion that is the equivalent to phoenix tears. That is why no one but those who were almost kissed are still under observation."

"Interesting." Albus mumbled with a nod in Severus's direction, but then his gaze traveled to the ceiling as he got lost in his own thoughts.

"Albus, how can two second years produce full corporal patronuses, and multiple ones at that?" Flitwick asked in surprise.

"I don't know Filius." Albus said shaking his head, but then he turned to Professor Sprout. "Pomona, did you think get any inclination that Harry and Mr. Roffin were lying?"

Minerva's eyes became hard and cold, and Severus's jaw stiffened. Remus had to catch himself and force the growl that he was about to let out, and Poppy took several deep breaths and clinched her fists together.

"No Albus. In fact, I verified the story with my Hufflepuffs. It was all the same. Mr. Potter and Mr. Roffin cast the charm. It was them. My Hufflepuffs that were hurt confirmed that Mr. Roffin called for his phoenix. They weren't lying." She said, and told the story about what Salazar did in the aftermath of the attack.

"What's the matter Albus?" Minerva began in a snippy tone. "Are you upset that a Slytherin has a phoenix bonded to him, or are you upset because Mr. Potter acted like an adult?"

Remus covered a snort with a cough, Poppy smirked, Severus bowed his head and hid a grin behind his coffee cup, but Albus glared at her. Minerva didn't care and glared back at him. She was tired, and all she wanted to do right now was to go to bed and forget this day had happened. She did not have the patience to listen to yet another 'Harry bashing' session.

"Is the phoenix truly bonded to Mr. Roffin, or is the phoenix under some kind of spell?" He asked in a simple matter-of-fact tone.

"Now you're grasping at straws Albus." Minerva said hotly as she stood up to leave. "You know, as well as anyone, that phoenixes can't be tricked in anyway what-so-ever. I'm leaving. Poppy will you be a dear and fill me in tomorrow?"

"Of course Minerva." Poppy said, even though the Medi-witch looked like she wanted to follow the Deputy Headmistress out the door.

Albus watched her stomp out of the room and slam the door, then he sighed and looked at the remaining staff and shook his head.

"Cornelius has once again shut down my proposal to have the dementors removed, even after today's attack. I felt sure that this would have made him bow to the pressure, but it has not. Now we must take drastic measures."

"What are you proposing?" Remus asked, as he leaned back in his chair.

"I'm afraid we may have to go about this…the Slytherin way." Albus said with a sigh.

That caught Severus's attention and he looked at Albus with a raised eyebrow.

"Severus, I need you to begin encouraging your Slytherins to write home to their parents. Mention to them that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one. The one in this case being, Harry. There is no reason for the dementors to be here just because _one_ boy might be in danger."

"I understand Headmaster. Once I get the pure-bloods stirred up over this, the Ministry will back down from the pressure. I can't see The Minister saying no to the Malfoys."

"Neither can I. Now, this does not mean that I don't care about Harry. I do, but Hogwarts is plenty safe enough, and I don't think we have to worry about Sirius Black coming here to kill anyone." Albus said.

"I agree with you Albus." Remus added. "_If_ Sirius were to come here, I'm sure that we all can capture him quickly. He is just one man."

"Indeed." Albus said with a nod. "Filius, Pomona, I'd also like you to encourage your houses to do the same. Have them write home. These things can't be allowed to stay here."

After what happened today, no one wanted to argue that point. The dementors were an added security measure, but the risk of having them here was just too great.

Severus and Remus both glanced at each other. They knew this would be good news to Salazar and Godric. However, this did prove to be a slight problem, considering that there was a certain rat that was just waiting for the opportunity to run.

Time was growing short for Peter Pettigrew.

* * *

**That's it for this chapter! I know some of you are asking why Godric's patronus is a hawk and not a lion. Simple answer, because it's ALWAYS a lion in fanfic! LOL! I wanted something different, but just to let you know, his animagus form is also a hawk. Salazar's is a snake, just like the house animal, so i figured i'd change Godric's up a little. Anyway hope you enjoyed, and please dont think that my rant means that im not going to continue with this story. It's still going strong and the muse is still here, and I dont think it's going to stop anytime soon! Please remember to leave me a review and let me know what you think! ❤❤❤'s to you all!**


	29. Boggarts and Horcruxes

***A/N* You guys, i am so thankful that most of you are still with me. It truly does mean a lot. Only a very few people left, but that was their choice, even if i am sad that they did. **

**With that said, i just want to warn you that this chapter is packed full with a lot of info! "*grins* **

**On with the chapter...**

* * *

**Chapter 29**

**Boggarts and Horcruxes**

When Severus left the staff meeting that night, he wasted no time in telling both the Founders about Albus's 'drastic measures'. Salazar nearly laughed himself silly over the fact that Albus considered acting like a Slytherin to be 'drastic measures', but in truth, he really wasn't surprised. Godric on the other hand, laughed and said he was astonished that Albus would 'stoop so low' that he would even consider acting in a 'Slytherin manner'.

It was typical Albus overreacting to the silliest things, but at least everyone had a good laugh over it. However, despite their feelings for the Headmaster, they did agree that this was a very good decision and they certainly weren't going to stand in the way of it.

One thing they didn't laugh about was the fact that this meant they needed to implement the plan they had come up with for capturing Pettigrew. It wasn't a perfect plan as it was, and with time running out, Salazar was beating himself up over the fact that he had not started it sooner.

* * *

It had already been three days since the attack, and owls had been coming and going ever since. After Poppy had filled her in about what was said that night, Minerva also encouraged Gryffindor to write letters to their parents as well. Rumor had it that the twins laid it on pretty thick in their letter, and Fudge was now walking around with his ears still ringing from the howler Molly Weasley had sent him.

'Harry Potter' himself had added to the pressure of it all by sending Hedwig off with a letter of his own addressed to Fudge, and it was that letter that had been printed in Tuesday's morning addition of _The Daily Prophet_, much to Salazar's shock.

**_Harry Potter Speaks Out About Dementor Attack At Hogwarts!_**

The following letter was addressed to Minister Fudge, and what The-Boy-Who-Lived has to say may shock and surprise you!

_Dear Minister Fudge,_

_My name is Harry Potter, and I am a second year Slytherin at Hogwarts. Rumors have been swirling for weeks that the dementors have been put here to keep Sirius Black from murdering me in my sleep. Please pardon my unwavering opinion, but Minister, I find this absolutely appalling._

_As I'm sure you're aware, the dementors came into the grounds Saturday afternoon and attacked the entire student body during a Quidditch match. Several students were nearly kissed, and I find myself shaking my head in shame that it even happened in the first place._

_If the rumors are true and it's because of your concern for my safety that these unrelenting beings are here, then I say they need to be removed from Hogwarts immediately. My safety is simply not worth putting the rest of the students in danger._

_Hogwarts is plenty safe enough without the added 'protection' of the dementors. Between the wards, enchantments, competent Professors, magical children that can be found everywhere, and the Headmaster, one raving lunatic doesn't stand a chance of even getting near me. _

_Especially since we have Helga Hufflepuff's badgers to protect us all._

_Let me explain. You see, last year during the Halloween feast, someone let a troll into the castle as a joke. Word got out that it was here, and all students were sent to their houses as a precaution. Unfortunately, the troll was in the dungeon and when Slytherin house was sent to our common room, we ran right into the fully grown beast. _

_The protective magic of Helga Hufflepuff was activated, and every stone that the castle is made of turned solid black. The troll became stuck to the wall, as if pushed there by an unseen hand, and small yellow badgers appeared on every wall of the castle as they raced from every direction to annihilate the threat._

_And I do mean annihilate._

_I do not need to explain what a badger does to its prey. I'm sure you can imagine the scene that followed as the badgers attacked the troll, so I think it's safe to say that Sirius Black does not stand a chance against the Hufflepuff badgers._

_With that said, please take into consideration the removal of the dementors. We really don't want to take the chance that they will attack the student population again._

_Sincerely, _

_Harry James Potter_

Readers, seeing as there have been many cries from concerned parents, and now with this letter from Harry Potter himself, we at The Daily Prophet are pleased to inform you that Minister Fudge has decided to remove the dementors from Hogwarts. The Minster had this to say about the situation.

"I have looked at all the evidence and spoken with Dumbledore on many occasions. I feel confident that the school is safe without the added presence of the dementors. Especially after the attack and having received the letter from Mr. Potter. The dementors will be removed this coming Friday afternoon."

What the Minister had to say is reassuring and we are happy that this situation has finally been resolved, but we at _The Daily Prophet_ are now more interested in these Hufflepuff badgers. If anyone has any information, please stop by our offices located in Diagon Alley.

"Well you have certainly opened up a can of worms with that Harry." Blaise said with a snicker as he took a sip of his morning pumpkin juice. "Dumbledore doesn't look very happy with you at the moment."

The three of them looked up from their usual places at the Slytherin table, and noticed that Albus was giving Salazar a very stern gaze. Salazar honestly couldn't understand why. He had not expected the Minister to turn over his letter to the paper, but at least the combined efforts of all the students, parents, Professors, and yes, even 'Harry Potter', had gotten the job done.

"Maybe he's upset because you didn't list him as a competent Professor." Godric snorted, while trying to hide a smirk. "Or maybe he's upset that you mentioned the troll incident."

"Perhaps, but you know what this means, don't you?" Salazar asked, looking at Godric with a sigh. "It means we will probably have to sit through another hour long lecture tonight about 'how we are too young to get involved with such things', even though it was his idea to get the students involved in the first place."

"I know. It seems that our detentions with the Headmaster are going to consist of nothing but lectures. I'd much prefer scrubbing the corridors with toothbrushes and being overseen by Mr. Filch."

Blaise burst out laughing. "You guys are weird. I'd much rather prefer the lectures."

"Not when someone is talking _at_ you." Salazar replied. "There is a difference between someone talking _to _you verses _at_ you. _To _you is a conversation, _at_ you can quickly turn into something with a condescending tone, for lack of a better explanation."

_"Do I talk at you Speaker?"_ Nora asked, as she and Hedwig shared her bowl of mice.

Hedwig hooted softly and bobbed her head as Salazar grinned at her. _"All the time my dear."_

The three of them began laughing as she hissed loudly. _"I wasn't talking to you Pigeon, but I suppose someone has to keep Speaker in line."_

Godric chuckled, but Blaise looked at him curiously. "Gordy, did you understand her?"

Both Salazar and Godric looked at each other quickly, but then back at Blaise. "Enough to know what she said." Godric said as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"He is coming along really well with his lessons. He doesn't have Fred and George in his class." Salazar answered with a snicker.

Blaise eyed the two of them suspiciously, but then he smiled. "I suppose your right. Nora, how many times did you threaten to bite them if they didn't pay attention?"

_"Too many to count Zabby." _She said offhandedly as she ate.

_"My dear, don't talk with your mouth full, it's unbecoming." _

She mumbled something that they didn't catch, but Salazar rolled his eyes and turned to Hedwig.

"Hedwig, I have a letter for you. You'll know who to take it to."

She hooted knowingly, finished the last bit of her mouse, took the letter, and they watched as she flew away.

"Harry, I think it's time to get to class." Blaise said as he drained the last little bit of his pumpkin juice and stood up.

Salazar sighed. "Yeah I think so. We have Defense, and rumor has it Professor Lupin has a boggart."

"Interesting." Godric said with an intrigued expression. "Any idea what you're afraid of?"

Salazar looked at Godric with a small smile. "I used to my friend." He said, as he patted Godric's shoulder meaningfully. "Now though, I really can't say for sure. It should be interesting."

"Let me know." Godric replied with a knowing smile.

Salazar nodded, and both he and Blaise left the great hall and began heading towards the Defense classroom. As they walked along in silence, Blaise studied him out of the corner of his eye and wondered when Harry had ever come into contact with a boggart.

* * *

"Who can tell me what a boggart is and what it does?" Remus asked, looking out over the seated class.

Salazar smiled when, as usual, Hermione's hand sprang into the air.

"Miss Granger?"

She gave Remus a bright smile before launching into her answer. "Boggarts turn into whatever you fear the most. No one knows what a boggart really looks like."

"Every good Miss Granger. Five points to Gryffindor." Remus said with a nod. "Now, I have managed to bring this wardrobe, which contains a boggart, into the classroom. I want all of you to stand up and move to the back of the class."

They did, and Remus waved his wand at the desks, which made them scoot along towards the edges of the classroom.

"Now," Remus continued as he paced the front of the room. "The best way to finish off a boggart is to turn it into something funny because laughter is the only way to finish them off. The way to do this is to point your wand at it and say the incantation of 'riddikulus'. Let's practice that a bit. Repeat after me…riddikulus."

Salazar secretly watched as they all repeated the wand movement and incantation. He was pleased to see that most of the students were doing it correctly, however Crabbe and Goyle kept wanting to use their wands as swords.

Neville on the other hand, had a determined look on his face, and Salazar was happy to note that he was doing everything correctly.

When they were done, Remus called for their attention and asked, "All right, who would like to go first?"

It was no surprise that on one volunteered, so Remus took it upon himself to choose.

"Ok Miss Granger, since you answered my question correctly, why don't you take a stab at it?" he asked with a gentle smile.

Hermione took a deep breath, muttered something to herself, and stepped forward. Remus opened up the wardrobe with a flick of his wand, and to Salazar's surprise, Minerva stepped out.

"Miss Granger, I had such high hopes for you, but you have greatly disappointed me. You have failed _everything_!"

Hermione yelped and then halfheartedly squeaked, "Riddikulus."

Nothing happened, and the Boggart Minerva smirked. "You're no good. You can't even…"

"Riddikulus!" Hermione shouted with more force, and Boggart Minerva stumbled backwards and landed hard on her bum.

"Every good!" Remus cried with a loud laugh. "Mr. Malfoy! Your next!"

"I can do better than the mudblood." He whispered to Pansy, who snorted.

Salazar gave him a disapproving glare and had to restrain himself from hexing the brat.

Draco stepped up to the boggart, which instantly turned into his father. Boggart Lucius was dressed in rags and he looked highly dirty and frumpled.

"Son, we have no more money." He said in a raspy voice. "We have no more influence. It's gone. All gone."

Draco stared at Boggart Lucius with wide eyes and paled drastically, but then he raised his wand.

"Riddikulus!" He cried, and suddenly Boggart Lucius was standing there in gaudy, rich looking robes. Draco laughed, along with several others, but most of the students rolled their eyes.

"That was too easy." He said with a smirk.

Several more people went next, and Salazar saw everything from banshees, which Nora thought was Molly Weasley's sister, to mummies, spiders, and snakes, which greatly amused her.

When Neville's turn came, Salazar became alarmed when a sneering Bellatrix Lestrange suddenly appeared. Neville started shaking badly when she spoke.

"Longbottom, want to end up like Mummy and Daddy?" She taunted in a little girlish voice. "Worthless blood traitor! You deserve it!" She shouted.

Salazar was ready to intervene, but at the last second he stopped when Neville drew himself up to his full height.

"You'll NEVER lay a hand on me or my family again!" He yelled with confidence. "Riddikulus!"

Bellatrix suddenly stood there clad head to toe in red and gold robes, and she shrieked and began tap dancing around as if you get away from the offending colors.

A triumphant smile appeared on his lips as the class roared with laughter, then it continued on.

Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, and several Gryffindors found out that their greatest fear was Voldemort. To Salazar, the man looked just like he did at the end of the war. He was human, with dark greyish hair and red eyes, but he looked slightly disfigured because of the toll all the dark magic he performed had taken out on his body. With all of those that had Voldemort as a boggart though, Remus had to intervene because the children were reduced to tears.

Blaise found out that his boggart was also Voldemort, and Remus made a move to intervene, but Blaise waved him off.

"It's ok Professor." He said with a shaky voice. "Let me try."

Remus nodded and retreated back, and Salazar watched as Boggart Voldemort sneered at the young boy.

"Worthless. How did you even get into Slytherin?"

"Riddikulus." Blaise said, but the boggart continued teasing him.

"Can't even get rid of me!" It laughed loudly. "Pathetic!"

"Yeah well, Harry defeated you when he was a baby! You're nothing but a looser! Riddikulus!" Blaise shouted, and instantly Boggart Voldemort turned into a ballerina. The whole class once again burst out laughing.

Finally there were two people left, Ron and Salazar himself. Salazar was just stepping up to the boggart when Ron shoved him from behind.

"Move Potter." He sneered. "It's my turn."

Salazar rolled his eyes and let the boy have his turn. When the boggart shifted, everyone was confused by it. It turned into a young, handsome boy with dark hair and dark cold eyes, but he was dressed in Ravenclaw robes.

"They will find out. I will tell them it was you." The Boggart Ravenclaw said in a low threatening tone. "Do as I say, or else."

Salazar watched this confrontation with confusion, but Ron yelped and cried, "Riddikulus!"

The boggart was suddenly loaded down with heavy books and began to struggle under their weight, which caused many in the class to snort and giggle.

Finally Salazar stepped up to it. A year ago, his boggart would have turned into a very angry Godric, who would have shouted that he would never forgive Salazar no matter what. Now however, he knew that wouldn't happen, and he was genuinely curious to find out what his greatest fear was.

The boggart instantly turned into a dead Lily Potter, and Salazar stumbled backwards a bit in shock.

"Riddikulus!" He shouted halfheartedly, and the boggart turned into a dead James.

Remus's breath hitched in his throat, but Salazar quickly repeated the incantation, and this time the boggart turned into a dead Harry.

Salazar was getting frustrated with himself, and once more shouted the spell only for the boggart to turn into a smirking Voldemort.

"You're too over confidant." He said with a sneer. "Perhaps you're afraid that all your plans will fail, and I will find out your secret."

_"Never." _Salazar hissed in a tone laced with venom.

_"We shall see."_ Boggart Voldemort hissed back.

"You're an insolent little whelp, and I cannot wait for the day when I can tell you that face to face. Who has been playing with whom today?" Salazar asked with a smirk. "I'm not afraid of you, so why are you here? Are you sure you're in control?"

Boggart Voldemort stumbled backwards and his face took on one of shock. Salazar waved his wand at a few thick piles of dust, and a laughing James, Lily, and Harry appeared.

"Riddikulus!" Salazar shouted again, and suddenly Boggart Voldemort was on the floor covering his ears and cowering in fear.

The class stood there stunned, but Remus joined in with the laughing dust Potters, and Hermione, Neville and Blaise quickly followed suit.

After that, Remus banished the boggart back into the wardrobe so he could use it for his other classes.

Salazar vanished the dust Potters even though he was slightly shaken up. He had been bluffing, but the Boggart Voldemort had a point. He was afraid that the real Voldemort would discover that he had hidden the Potters, and he didn't know what he would do if that ever happened.

* * *

"Did you see him with that boggart?" Blaise asked quietly as he looked at Hermione and Neville.

It was later that evening after dinner, and they were sitting in the in library going over notes on boggarts so they could get started on the essay Remus set. Salazar and Godric were in detention with Albus, and Colin was doing his own homework with a few of his friends in Gryffindor Tower.

"I saw him." Neville said with a nod. "But I wonder what V-V…" He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Voldemort meant by a secret."

"I don't know." Blaise said as he shook his head. "But it's curious isn't it?"

Hermione kept her head down, but she nodded slightly. She had been thinking a lot about what she saw today, and she had an idea on what it could be. She knew that the man had to be his, or well, the real Harry's dad because they looked just alike. The Boggart Harry might have been the real Harry because she noticed that he didn't have a scar, and the woman must have been his Mum.

If all that was true, then could Salazar's secret be that the real Harry Potter and his parents were alive and safe? She wasn't sure, but she was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts when Neville nudged her.

"…and I think they may be hiding something."

"What?" Hermione asked, suddenly startled.

"Look at this chocolate frog card. Gordy, Harry, and I had a little fun with it, but it's Godric Gryffindor's. Take away the beard and long hair, and tell me what you see." Blaise said, sliding it across the table towards them.

Hermione and Neville glanced at it, but it was Neville whose eyes widened in shock.

"He looks like an older version of Gordy!" He exclaimed in a breathless whisper.

Blaise nodded and sighed deeply. "I know. I have a crazy and outlandish theory. I think Gordy is Godric Gryffindor. I mean, how many eleven year olds have a phoenix that is bonded to them?"

Hermione was not shocked by this declaration, but Neville's eyes widened even further.

"But how is that possible?" Neville asked.

"I don't know. Hermione, what do you think?" Blaise asked, looking at her curiously.

She sighed heavily, looked around cautiously, and then nodded. "I guess since you have figured it out, I might as well share what I know. I don't just think that Gordy is Godric Gryffindor. I also think that Harry is Salazar Slytherin himself."

Blaise and Neville stared at her with blank expressions, but Blaise finally leaned back in his chair and nodded.

"Now that you mention it, it doesn't seem so far-fetched, _and_ it would explain _a lot_ of things." He said thoughtfully as Hermione nodded.

She went on to explain about the anagram she figured out, and all her thoughts on the subject. When she was done, Blaise let out a long breath it seemed he had been holding, but Neville just sat there in shock.

"But _how_ is that possible?" Neville asked again, still in a stupor of disbelief.

"I don't know." Hermione said. "But I don't think we should let on that we know. They are hiding this for a reason, and it may cause them a lot of undue worry."

"I agree with Hermione." Neville said, finally coming to his senses.

"I do as well." Blaise replied with a nod. "Whatever this is for, we don't need to go blabbing, least Sal…err…Harry turns us into frogs or something."

Neville and Hermione chuckled, but Neville said, "I just can't believe two of my friends are Founders. Its…its…"

"…mind boggling." Hermione finished with a nod. "I know. It's taken me this long to get my head around that fact. I'm sure _someone _must know who they are though."

"Not Dumbledore that's for sure." Neville said with a shake of his head. "I get the feeling that they don't like him very much."

"I think you're right." Hermione agreed, and Blaise nodded.

"I think Snape knows." He said with a knowing look. "You guys don't see them interact with him like do, but I think he knows."

"How so?" Hermione asked, tilting her head to one side.

"I don't know." He said with a shake of his head. "I can't explain it, but you would think that _Salazar Slytherin_ of all people would let the Head of Slytherin know he's here. Same goes for McGonagall and Godric Gryffindor."

"Maybe." Hermione said unsurely. "But it's not a lot to go on. I mean, Dumbledore is the _Headmaster_, and I don't think he knows."

"We may never know who knows." Neville replied. "But you have to look at the fact that there is/was all the rumors about how Snape hates Gryffindors and stuff. He's bad about bad mouthing Gryffindors and insulting them, but he's not _that_ bad. Even some of the older students say he's changed a bit. Do you think we should tell Colin?" He asked suddenly.

Hermione immediately shook her head. "Colin is like a little brother to me, but I don't think we should. You know how hyper he gets, and he likes to talk a mile-a-minute about anything and everything. My Mum would say that he doesn't have a filter on his mouth."

"Hermione is right." Blaise said with a sigh. "I like Colin, but we can't risk him slipping up and saying something."

"True." Neville agreed.

Madam Pince, the librarian, suddenly swooped down on them from out of nowhere, and they cringed like mice caught in an owl's shadow.

"You three have been whispering and talking the moment you set foot in here!" She hissed as she glared at them with narrowed eyes. "Out! Out, out, out! You clearly don't want to study." She said, immediately hushing their protests. "This is the library, not the great hall!"

With a lot of grumbling from Neville and Blaise, and with an apologetic, sheepish look from Hermione, they quickly gathered up their stuff and scurried out of the library.

When they reached the corridor, Blaise scowled at the doors as Madam Pince slammed them shut in their faces.

"Well that could have gone better." Neville said with a sigh. "Do you all want to find a nearby empty classroom?"

"I guess so. Harry and Gordy said they would meet us here after their detention." Blaise answered, still scowling at the doors.

"Oh come on. We all know how Madam Pince is." Hermione said, grabbing his arm and dragging him away.

They were only halfway down the corridor when Neville heard a voice that made him stop in his tracks.

_What was that?_ He thought, as he looked around in confusion.

_"I must find him. The one who speaks. Where is he? Where is he?"_

Neville turned sharply to face the wall and came face to face with a portrait of some bloodhounds carrying on with a fox hunt.

"Hello?" Neville called out.

Blaise and Hermione stopped and turned around. "Neville?" Hermione asked curiously. "What is it?"

"I thought I heard something." He said in a confused voice as he stood there staring at the wall. "But I guess I must have imagined…"

_"The Speaker, I must find him." _

This time all three of them stood stock still and stared at the wall.

"Hello?" Neville called out again. "A Speaker? Nora are you in the wall playing tricks on us? We can hear you, you know."

_"You can hear me? You can understand me?"_

Neville chuckled a bit. "Of course we can hear and understand you Nora. You are playing a joke, aren't you?"

_"My name is not Nora. I am Emeralda, Keeper of the Chamber of Secrets and protector of Hogwarts. Who are you?" _

All three of their mouths dropped open at once, and they all glanced at each other nervously. There was no doubt in their minds as to whom they were hearing.

"I-I am Neville Longbottom, and I'm here with my friends Hermione Granger and Blaise Zabini. Can we help you?" He asked tentatively.

_"Are you little ones?"_

"Little ones? I'm afraid we don't understand." Hermione asked with a shaky voice, as Blaise backed up a few steps.

_"Yes, little ones. Students?"_

"Oh-oh yes." Neville replied with a squeak. "We are second years. Hermione and I are Gryffindors to be exact, and Blaise is a Slytherin."

_"You all sound afraid little Neville Longbottom. I can hear it in your voices. Please don't be. You have nothing to fear from me. Can you tell me where the Speaker is? His name is Harry Potter. I have heard he speaks my language. I have something important to tell him."_

"Uh-uh, Ok E-Emeralda. Um…we are friends of Harry's. He taught us how to understand Parseltongue, though we can't speak it. Um, Harry is up in the Headmaster's Tower serving detention." Neville said replied.

_"I cannot get to the Headmaster's Tower from my position. You must lead the way little one, and get this Harry Potter to a place where I can talk to him. I will follow you."_

The three of them glanced nervously at one another again.

"What do we do?" Neville asked in a barely audible whisper.

"I-I-I…" Hermione stammered, but Blaise spoke up.

"We should take the giant snake to him. It is_ his_ snake after all." He said with wide eyes, as he stared at the wall.

"But what could all this mean?" Hermione asked fretfully.

_"Hello? Little ones? Have you gone off without me?"_

"No…no." Neville replied. "We are still here."

Blaise shrugged as if to say 'I don't know what to do', but Neville took a deep breath.

"Just follow our voices. We will lead you to just outside the gargoyle that guards the tower."

_"I cannot get there as easily as you can, but I know where it is. I will meet up with you there."_

"Ok." Neville said slowly, still not knowing if this was the right thing to do.

It took them a good ten minutes to get to the gargoyle from the library, and when they arrived Neville began checking to see if Emeralda had made it there yet, while Hermione and Blaise figured out what to do next.

"I think we need to get to Harry right away." Hermione said as she looked at Blaise.

"I agree, but I don't know about barging into the Headmaster's office. Maybe we should wait until they come down."

"But this is important! He needs to know now!" Hermione cried in a loud whisper. "Do you know the password?"

"No." Blaise replied, shaking his head. "But rumor has it that Dumbledore likes candy, and that his password is always some type of candy."

Hermione's eyes lit up and she turned to face the gargoyle. "Skittles." She blurted out, but the gargoyle just stared at her. "M&Ms? Chocolate covered cherries? Milk Duds? Gobstoppers? Fruit roll ups?"

"What are you…what are those?" Blaise asked, utterly confused.

"You said candy." She said defensively. "That's candy."

"Not any candy I have heard of. It must be muggle, but let me try wizard candy." Blaise said with an amused snort. "Acid Pops? Chocolate Frogs? Ice Mice? Fizzing Whizzbees? Jelly slugs? Pumpkin Fizz? Pumpkin…"

"May I ask why you all are so desperate to gain entry into Headmaster's Tower?" A deep, seemingly bored, voice asked from behind them.

They all yelped in surprise, and whipped around to find Severus smirking at them.

"What's the matter? Can Potter not function without you all stuck to him? It's bad enough that Roffin…"

"The giant snake is on her way here." Blaise blurted out desperately. "We need to find Harry. She's asking for him because he speaks Parseltongue."

Severus's jaw stiffened as his dark eyes studied the young boy, but then he turned to the gargoyle.

"Sugar Quills." He said, then he turned to the children. "Stay put!" He ordered, as the gargoyle moved aside.

Severus quickly made his way up the stairs, but when he reached the door to Albus's office he took a deep breath and knocked.

"Come in." Albus called out.

Severus entered and quickly scanned the room. Salazar and Godric were glaring daggers at the Headmaster, but Albus was sitting there with a gentle smile on his face.

"Severus? Can I help you?"

"Yes Headmaster. It seems that we have an…issue." He said slowly. "Longbottom, Granger, and Zabini are in the corridor, and they say that the giant snake is waiting for Potter." He sneered.

Albus's gentle smile instantly vanished, but both Salazar and Godric bolted from their chairs, rushed past Severus, and ran down the stairs. They were halfway down when they heard Albus's yelling something, but they paid no attention.

When they got into the corridor, Blaise, Hermione, and Neville turned around quickly and pointed toward the wall.

"She's just behind the wall." Neville said, backing away as Salazar glanced over them.

"Are you all ok?" He asked, just as Albus and Severus exited the gargoyle.

Blaise took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah Harry we are. Her name is Emeralda, and she actually seems pretty nice. I don't know why she wants to talk to you though."

"I didn't even think to ask." Hermione said, leaning against the wall and shaking her head. "I was just so…so…"

"Shocked." Neville finished, and she nodded.

Salazar started to smile, but caught himself and nodded instead. He wasn't surprised about that, and he wished he could have warned them about possibly encountering Emeralda. He had already gone back down into the chamber and explained everything in detail to her. She knew who the children, Severus, and Albus were, and why Salazar was in the position he was in.

However, if she was looking for him, that meant the boy had shown up again.

_"Um, Emeralda?" _He asked tentatively.

_"Young Speaker, at last. I called for you because I know you speak my language, and I am more comfortable talking to you because of that. As the other little one said, my name is Emeralda. Please don't be afraid, I won't hurt you."_

_"All right. What do you wish to tell me?"_ Salazar asked, hoping that she had some new information for him.

_"A little red-headed boy came to see me just a little while ago. He woke me up from my slumber. He told me things about you, and that is how I know you can speak. He wanted me to hunt down muggles, but then told me to find you and kill you. Rest assured, I will not do this. I also don't think there are any muggles here. I think I'm being tricked. I hear no shouts or yelling, nor do I smell fear." _Emeralda said angrily.

_"You are being tricked. There are no muggles here. Can you tell me anything more about this red-headed boy?" _Salazar asked.

_"He's gangly looking. Very thin and very angry. He's just like the one before him, but there is evil about him. He doesn't seem himself."_

_"How do you mean?"_ Salazar asked with a puzzled expression.

_"He can only speak my language if he is holding a book in his hands. It's a black book, and he says he is just doing what another boy tells him too. His eyes though, look haunted and dark. Almost as if he is not in control of his actions."_

_"What is the other boy's name?_ Salazar asked.

He knew this was new information that Emeralda didn't have last time, and he was once again glad that he had told her to closely pay attention the next time this mystery red-head came to her.

_"The red-headed boy calls this other boy his friend, and his name is Tom Riddle."_

Salazar's blood ran cold as all his fears were confirmed. Voldemort, through the actions of Lucius Malfoy, was somehow involved, but he still did not know how.

Albus on the other hand, began staring up at the ceiling in thought, and Salazar knew him well enough by now to know exactly what Albus was thinking. Red-head, black book, and involved with Voldemort. It could only be a Slytherin (in Albus's mind) and that meant…Godric. He just rolled his eyes and turned back to the wall.

_"Emeralda, is there anything else at all you can tell me? Did he say anything else about Tom Riddle?"_ Salazar asked, and he noticed that Albus looked at him with a sharp calculating gaze.

_"Many years ago, another boy came to me and told me there were muggles attacking the school. This new red-headed boy said that this Tom Riddle, whoever he is, was the same boy."_

_"Did he say this in Parseltongue or English?"_

_"English." _She replied.

"What more can you say about this black book?" Albus asked curiously.

There was a long pause, but Salazar broke it by saying, _"Emeralda, the Headmaster asked the question and it is a valid one. Can you tell us anything about it?"_

_"Only that it sometimes glows. The glow enters the red-headed boy and suddenly he changes. He can speak our language then. That is when he acts like the other boy."_

"How does he act when this glow leaves him?" Albus asked.

_"Like an angry boy. Always angry, always talking bad about the young speaker. He told me about a joke that was played a few nights ago. He told me you were making fun of me."_ She said in a hurt tone.

_"No my dear, we were not making fun of you. We were making light of the fact that the whole school though it was me who was setting you free and having you attack people. We did it to make people laugh at that fact only."_

_"A prank then." _Emeralda said with an amused hiss. _"Just like my Master Salazar and his best friend Godric long ago. I do not take offense then."_

Salazar, nor the other adults, saw the children exchange amused glances and smiles, but Salazar chuckled and placed a hand on the wall.

_"Never would we insult you Emeralda."_

_"I should not have thought otherwise little one. It was my mistake." _She said kindly.

_"Is there anymore that you can tell us? What exactly does this red-headed boy say about me?"_

_"He always calls you a stupid Slytherin, attention seeking, and something called a prat."_

"Sounds just like Ron Wesley." Neville said chuckling lightly.

Hermione gasped and her hand flew to her mouth as Salazar whipped around to face them.

"Neville, will you find Fred and George and bring them here. Quickly, please." He asked with an urgent pleading glance.

Neville nodded and quickly took off down the corridor before Albus could stop him.

"Harry, do you really think it could be Ron?" Blaise asked breathlessly as he nervously searched Salazar's face.

"I don't know." He answered, as he began pacing the corridor.

A tentative plan began to form in his mind as they all stood in the corridor outside the gargoyle, but this had to be played out very carefully. He knew Albus had a slew of questions, so he decided to answer some of them.

Even if all the answers were a lie.

"Gordy, we need Nehum. Can you call for him?"

Severus and Godric stared at him with wide eyes as they both began trying to figure out what he was up too, but Godric did call for him. Meanwhile, Severus cast several privacy wards around the area.

When Nehum appeared and landed on Godric's shoulder, Albus's drew himself up to his full height and seemed to study the bird closely.

Salazar took a spare bit of parchment and a quill out of his pocket, scribbled a note, and handed it to Nehum.

"Gordy, can a phoenix deliver a letter to someone even though they may not know the person or where that person lives?"

"Yes." Godric answered simply, still trying to figure out where Salazar was going with this.

"Good. Nehum, will you please take this letter to Nicholas Flamel?"

Severus's mouth nearly hit the floor, but he was able to retain his usual bored look, while Albus stared at Salazar in shock. Nehum disappeared, and once again, Salazar resumed his pacing. His mind was in overdrive and he needed to think, but this was difficult to do seeing as Albus began asking questions.

"Mr. Roffin, where did you acquire your phoenix?"

"On a hiking trip with my family. I had slipped and fell several feet down a mountain side when he appeared and helped me. He has stayed with me ever since." Godric lied.

Albus seemed to study him for a moment, but then his attention turned towards Blaise and Hermione, who were still standing there listening to every word.

"Perhaps you all should head to your common rooms. There is no need for you to stay here."

_"I insist they stay."_ Emeralda suddenly replied. _"They are the young speaker's friends, and they may make him more comfortable. I get the feeling you don't like the young speaker very much."_

"That is not true gentle great snake. I care for Harry very much." Albus replied kindly.

Salazar and Godric snorted loudly, which made Albus glare at them. Hermione and Blaise however, exchanged smiles as they tried to make themselves less visible. They really wanted to stick around for whatever was about to come.

Albus sighed heavily, but turned his attention to Salazar. "Harry, how do you know Nicholas Flamel?"

Salazar pretended not to hear him, so Albus repeated his question, but this time he was interrupted by the arrival of Nicholas and Nehum.

Salazar didn't waste any time.

"Mr. Flamel, thank you for coming so quickly." Salazar said breathlessly and as innocently as he could. "I know that we just met this past summer, and I thank you and Mrs. Flamel so much for taking me into your home, but I have a problem and need your assistance. I was hoping you could help."

Nicholas smiled with amusement and shot a glance at a completely gob smacked Albus before speaking. "Harry, Perenelle and I told you before you left, that if at any time you needed us, especially here," he added dryly, "that one of us would come. What is it that you need my help with?"

Salazar smirked slightly at Nicholas's jab at Albus, but he tried to keep his voice even and calm.

"I believe Tom Riddle is here, but I don't know how and I don't know why. I know I have written and told you all about this Chamber nonsense, but it seems as if he's behind it. The giant snake is here, just beyond the wall, and has given us some clues as to why this is happening."

"What clues?" Nicholas asked with a frown.

Salazar began to explain what Emeralda had told them, some of this Nicholas knew from the letters, but the information about the black book left him stumped.

"Without this book to study Harry, I cannot say for sure." He answered gravely. "I would need to see it."

"Do-do you think it could be one of…those things…you mentioned to me." Salazar asked with wide innocent eyes.

He didn't know for sure if this black book was a horcrux, but from what Emeralda described, it could be. He knew Voldemort wasn't outright possessing Ron, seeing as Ron wasn't sporting a turban this year, but he decided to take a stab in the dark and see what would come of this. Not to mention, he wanted to see what Albus would do.

Both Nicholas and Albus paled drastically, though for very different reasons. However, for his part, Nicholas knew _exactly_ what Salazar was doing, and was more than happy to play along.

"Nicholas, you told him!?" Albus shouted. "How could you?"

"The boy needed to know." Nicholas replied with a calm smile. "And I have yet to hear of you getting off your bum and doing anything about them. He knows exactly who Tom Riddle is, and that he could possibly have made horcruxes."

"Why!?" Albus asked, growing red in the face as he glared at his former friend.

"Because, as I said, Harry needed to know. He needs to know what he's up against Albus." Nicholas replied calmly. "You keep insisting on keeping him in the dark, but I would think after last year, you'd be happy about this news."

Albus gritted his teeth and tried to calm himself down, but everyone present knew that it was getting harder for him to do that.

"Please tell me you haven't told him about…it."

"If by 'it' you mean the prophecy, no I haven't, and I'd be willing to swear you an oath to prove it." Nicholas said truthfully, with a slight smirk.

"What prophecy?" Salazar asked immediately, with his eyes bouncing back and forth between the two of them.

Godric, who was standing a few feet behind Albus, was grinning and desperately trying not to laugh. Severus was watching the whole thing with his usual blank expression. Albus on the other hand, glared at Nicholas.

"Don't worry about that Harry. You're too young to be involved as it is."

Nicholas chuckled. "You think to lowly of him Albus. He is a very bright boy."

"Will you tell me Mr. Flamel?" Salazar asked, but then shook his head 'no' _ever_ so slightly.

Albus didn't catch the movement because he was too busy glaring daggers at Nicholas, but Nicholas did, and he smiled at Salazar.

"One thing at a time Harry. I hope you trust me enough to know when it is the right time to tell you."

"I do trust you sir, and I understand." Salazar said with an air of disappointment, as Albus sighed in visible relief.

Just then, they heard breathless panting coming from the end of the corridor as Neville, Fred, and George arrived. Both Fred and George looked so frantic as they came to a stop in front of Salazar, that they didn't even notice Nicholas was there.

"Harry, Neville filled us in. You can't be serious about Ron and the black book." Fred gasped as he doubled over in pain from running.

"We aren't sure." Salazar said with a heavy sigh, then he looked apologetically at all the children. "I'm so sorry, but what I'm about to say may come as a shock to you. The only reason Fred and George do is because they caught me."

Everyone looked confused by that, but Albus raised a critical eyebrow and glared at him.

"Fred, George, do you remember the night that you two caught me wandering around close to curfew talking to a house elf?"

"Yes." They both said together, trying to figure out where this was going.

"Remember what that house elf said about who we later figured out was Lucius Malfoy? Think, has your family recently come in contact with Lucius Malfoy?"

"Yes." Fred said, as George's eyes widened in alarm.

"Oh no." George said, as his eyes nearly filled with genuine tears. "Harry, I don't know why I didn't think of this before! We should have remembered this Fred!" He cried as he slid down the wall and onto the floor. Then he looked up at Salazar with a face full of desperation.

"Listen Harry, over the summer during our school shopping trip to Diagon Alley, we were waiting in Flourish and Blotts for Mum to get an autograph from Lockhart the Fraud. We, meaning Fred, Ron, Ginny, and I were coming out of the shop when we ran into Lucius and Draco Malfoy. Ron started his usual prattle of 'Slytherins are the Devil' and Draco went on about how poor we are. Ron threw down his cauldron, which was full of books, and went after Draco, but was stopped when Lucius poked the end of his walking cane in Ron's face. Then Lucius _bent down_ and began _helping_ Ron put his books back into the cauldron. That's when Dad showed up. _More_ words were exchanged and Dad and Lucius actually got into a fist fight which caused the manager to throw us all out." He said, running his fingers through his hair.

"What about the black book? Did you see it?" Nicholas asked in alarm. "Lucius Malfoy does not bend down for _anything_."

Fred nodded in agreement, but then looked at Nicholas. "Now that I'm thinking about it, I do recall Ron saying something about an extra book in his cauldron when we got home, but I didn't…I didn't pay any attention though." He said with a sigh.

"I didn't see Lucius put anything in Ron's cauldron, but then again, this is Lucius we are talking about." George said. "Harry, do you remember what the elf said about Lucius saying 'he will get what's coming to him'?"

Salazar stared at him curiously and nodded.

"What if he didn't mean Professor Dumbledore like we thought, what if the elf meant my Dad?" George continued.

"I don't understand. What would…" Salazar began, but he was cut off.

"Arthur Weasley's Muggle Protection Act." Nicholas said suddenly, as Fred and George nodded and pointed at him.

Salazar looked at him oddly. "What…?"

Nicholas shook his head. "I'll explain what it is later, but suffice to say, if this black book is what we think it is, then placing a _very _dark object such as a _horcrux_ into the hands of Arthur Weasley's son would give Lucius the political upper hand. Especially if his son is setting loose a giant snake in the hopes that it will kill muggle borns. It would send a signal that Arthur wasn't all that friendly towards them, and his Muggle Protection Act would fail."

"Remind me to pay closer attention to politics. I've always hated them." Salazar said rolling his eyes.

"Yes, I know." Nicholas replied with a grin.

Salazar chuckled, but began pacing the corridor again as his brain processed this new information. Every eye was glued to him, except Albus who looked lost in thoughts of his own. All that Nicholas said made perfect sense though. It would explain why the castle was sending out warnings, and a horcrux is certainly dark enough to be picked up by Godric's detection ward.

"Young Harry, what have I taught you? Think out loud so that I can try to help."

Salazar smiled because Nicholas was really getting into this role. He knew Nicholas could be a bit petty at times, and right now Salazar knew he was enjoying having the upper hand on Albus.

"Percy told me that Ron has been acting strange this year. He seems more angry than usual, and has basically cut himself off from the rest of his family because of the way they have embraced me."

"Ron would never do that willingly though." Fred interjected.

Salazar nodded and continued. "Percy thought it was the pressures of second year getting to him, and said that he has been writing in a black book. Ginny said it was actually a diary he keeps. Who here has ever known Ron Weasley to _actually_ write when not told to do so?"

"That's right!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed, but then she clamped her hands over her mouth.

"That's all he does." Neville confirmed. "He sits in the corner of the common room and scribbles in a black book. He's always scowling and muttering to himself about how he hates Harry. Hermione and I have tried to talk to him, but he brushes us off."

"He says he doesn't want to talk to 'Slytherin lovers'." Hermione added quietly.

"Fred, we are horrible brothers. We haven't paid any attention to him." George said as tears began to spill down his cheeks. "I didn't even notice."

"No George, don't blame yourself for this. It's not your fault." Salazar said, kneeling in front of him. "Look at me, we had no way of knowing about this until now."

"We should have thought of this earlier." Fred said, sitting beside his brother, who was still on the floor.

"What do we do Harry?" George asked desperately, looking into Salazar's eyes.

"This is a big leap filled with many circumstances." Albus scoffed. "We have no way of knowing if any of this is true."

_"Don't you dare doubt the young speaker!" _Emeralda shouted, and everyone jumped a bit when the wall she was behind shook slightly.

Salazar knew she must have thrown her head against it and he chuckled. She was always a bit overprotective of him. He collected himself though, and glared at Albus.

"Why, because Ron is a Gryffindor?" Salazar asked. "I saw the look on your face earlier. Red hair, black book, working with Voldemort. You're mind automatically went to Gordy because he's a Slytherin, but tell me Headmaster, how badly did that come crashing down when you learned he has a phoenix?" He spat.

Albus glared at him. "You have no idea…"

"Voldemort!?" Blaise, Neville, and Hermione cried together.

"…what I'm talking about because I'm too young, too innocent, blah, blah, blah." Salazar said, ignoring the children and finishing Albus's sentence. "Yes we know that all ready." He added sarcastically.

Nicholas chuckled lightly. "I told you not to underestimate him Albus, and it seems that his friends are just as quick as he is." He said, then he turned to the children. "Yes, Tom Riddle and Voldemort are one in the same. Tom Riddle is the Heir of Slytherin, which is something I have been able to uncover with simple research."

"This is still all just hearsay and we are jumping to conclusions." Albus said angrily. "We have no way of knowing if Mr. Weasley is carrying around a horcrux."

"Why don't you storm Gryffindor Tower and demand to see Ron's diary then? We all know you have a habit of doing that." Godric said dryly.

"Yes, thank you for your insightful input _Godric_." Salazar said sarcastically, trying to keep himself from laughing, but Godric grinned that foolish grin of his and Salazar couldn't help but snort.

"All right this stops now!" Albus cried. "No more Salazar this and Godric that! Neither of you are anything like the Founders!"

"How would you know? Did you know Godric Gryffindor?" Godric asked with his eyes shining with laughter. "Because you could be wrong."

Albus glared at him, but Salazar laughed. "And I thought Salazar was an evil, bitter old man." Salazar snorted. "Hey, according to some people, that's right up my alley!"

"Except for the bitter and old part." Godric added. "He was evil, well according to history anyway."

"And whose fault is that?" Salazar asked, looking pointedly at Godric.

"I can't remember. I must have amnesia." Godric replied with a grin.

"Merlin help us." Nicholas said with a chuckle, as he shook his head and stared at the ceiling.

"Headmaster if I may," Severus began, trying to steer the conversation back to the topic at hand. He was well aware of how Salazar and Godric could be if the two of them got going. "Perhaps there is some merit to what has been said here tonight."

That stopped all the laughter immediately, and every eye landed on him.

"You know something?" Albus asked in alarm.

"Perhaps." He replied, glancing sharply at everyone as if to dare them to ask what he might know.

Salazar certainly wanted to, but not here. He knew Severus would tell him later. He sighed heavily and looked over at the twins. They were smiling, but they didn't look like their usual selves when he and Godric started their playful bickering.

Salazar could have kicked himself though. Now was not the time to be cracking jokes.

He walked over to the wall and gently laid his hand upon it. _"Emeralda, are you still here?"_

_"Yes young speaker, and I have been listening closely. What is it that you need?"_

_"If this boy returns to you, will you let me know?"_

_"Of course. Do you wish me to return to my sleep now?"_

_"Yes, if that is where you came from."_ Salazar answered simply.

_"Very well. I will seek you out if he returns. Goodnight young speaker, and young speaker's friends."_

They all mumbled a goodnight to her, but then Salazar took a moment to glance at the children. Blaise, Neville, and Hermione were leaning against the wall. Blaise was studying Salazar, but Neville and Hermione appeared to be lost in thought. Fred and George were still sitting on the floor, leaning against one another.

"What about Ron?" Fred asked, after a few moments of silence.

Salazar turned around to face him, but shook his head sadly. "I honestly don't know Fred." He said, shifting his gaze to Nicholas in a silent plea for help. He knew what needed to be said, but under these circumstances, he shouldn't be the one saying them.

"Horcruxes are very dangerous dark magical objects." Nicholas said seriously, coming to his rescue. "I will not go into details about what they are or what they are used for, but I will tell you to be careful. Now is not a time for pranks, jokes, or anything of the like. If _any_ of you Gryffindors see Ron with this book in the common room, do not approach him on your own. Do not ask him questions, do ask to see it, and under no circumstances are you to try and touch it."

"I know what a horcrux is." George said. "Harry mentioned them last Christmas after he found that book. It has something to do with a soul and killing someone, but I can't really remember." He said, rubbing his forehead tiredly.

"Oh yeah I did. I had forgotten about that." Salazar said, remembering the scene last year when he basically told his Heir that he was an idiot.

"Well regardless of whether you know what a horcrux is or not, I agree with Nicholas." Albus said, glancing around at them. "If this truly is a horcrux, then Mr. Weasley may be in serious danger and the situation will need to be looked at very closely. Messrs. Weasley, I know he is your brother, but you must hold yourselves back from doing anything."

"What about our Mum and Dad? Shouldn't they know about this?" George asked.

"I will speak to them." Albus answered.

They nodded, but Godric looked confused and he spoke up.

"I have a question. If Ron is so anti-anything Slytherin, then why is he helping Voldemort to do this? I truly don't understand the logic here. Wouldn't he suspect something?"

Fred sighed and shook his head. "No offense to our baby brother, but Ron is somewhat thick. He may not know…"

"His boggart!" Hermione suddenly blurted out.

"Hermione?" Salazar asked curiously. "What does that have to do with…?"

"His boggart was dressed in Ravenclaw robes. Don't you remember? His boggart said 'I will tell them it was you. Do as I say, or else'. I think he's being tricked."

The odd scene replayed itself in Salazar's head, and suddenly it all made sense to him.

"Only you could put that together Hermione." Neville said, shaking his head.

"It didn't occur to me either." Blaise agreed with a nod. "That was brilliant Hermione. It truly was, but this answers something that has honestly been bugging me for a while. Do you all remember the Halloween Feast? Remember how Ron jumped up and began screaming hysterically and accusing Harry of setting loose the giant snake?"

"Yes." They all chorused.

"I think that's why he did it." Blaise continued. "I think he knows it was him, and he was afraid that he would get into trouble. We didn't know Luna's condition at the time, and the whole school thought she was dead. I think Ron thought that too. That's why he put all the blame on Harry."

"I agree. This all is starting to make perfect sense." Salazar said, which caused Hermione to blush and Blaise to smile softly. Then he looked at Severus, Albus, and Nicholas. "I think they are right." He added gravely.

"Well he wouldn't be the first person to be tricked by Voldemort, that's for sure." Nicholas said.

"So what are you all going to do about Ron? What's the plan?" George asked, looking to Nicholas and Salazar for answers.

"I know this is not something you want to hear Mr. Weasley, but we don't know." Nicholas said with a sigh, and Salazar confirmed it with a slight nod. "Each horcrux is different because most have very dark charms and enchantments that have been placed on them. Some could outright possess a person, some could kill a person if they touch it, and others could influence a person, which I think may be the case here. It will take a bit of time to work out a plan, and we have to make sure that we know _exactly_ what we are dealing with. For instance, if we were to simply steal this book away from your brother, it may drive him insane, it could kill him, or any number of nasty things. This situation needs to be handled with extreme caution."

"In other words, now is not the time to be a typical Gryffindor." Godric said seriously, as he folded his arms across his chest.

Normally that would make the twins giggle and laugh, but knowing that this was a serious issue they just nodded and looked at Godric sadly.

"I actually happen to agree with you Roffin." Severus said, though there was no underlying amusement to his statement. "Now is not the time to go rushing in without using your heads. As a matter of fact, you are to do nothing and say nothing about this situation at all. If Mr. Weasley gets any idea that we know what we know, this could put him in danger or he may simply get rid of the book, which would make it nearly impossible to track down."

"What about watching him?" Fred asked. "And should we let Percy know?"

"No." Salazar, Severus, Nicholas, and Godric said together, which seemed to startle Albus a bit.

Blaise, Hermione, and Neville on the other hand, glanced at one another and Blaise slightly jerked his head in Severus's direction as if to say, 'I told you he knows'. No one but the three of them noticed it though.

"Watching him may be a good idea." Severus added. "But do not be obvious about it. You are to let us know if his behavior changes at all. Whether that change is for better or worse, we must know about it."

"Yes sir." Fred and George mumbled.

"Albus, despite our falling out last year, I'm willing to work with you on this. A young man's life is at stake here." Nicholas said, looking right at Albus.

Albus glared at him and his jaw muscles stiffened as he gritted his teeth. "Very well." He said in a curt tone.

Salazar rolled his eyes. He knew Albus didn't like the fact that Nicholas was involved at all, but that was one of the reasons he brought Nicholas in. Albus wanted to be in charge of this situation, and while Albus would tell Severus everything he knew, Severus, given his position, wouldn't be able to keep Albus in line. Nicholas however, could and would do just that. The last thing they needed is for Albus to somehow twist this into a situation for 'The Greater Good'.

The meeting broke up shortly after that, and Albus sent them all to their common rooms. Nicholas left via Nehum, and Albus retreated up the stairs and back into his office with Severus following behind him.

Salazar however, was tired and ready for bed. All of this new information had set his mind reeling, and he needed time to process it all. His plate was quickly getting full. Between this situation with the horcrux and dealing with Pettigrew, he was quickly becoming overwhelmed, and he knew that both situations needed to be handled very carefully, yet quickly.

* * *

***A/N* I told you it was packed with information! Now we know why Ron has been acting the way he's been acting, and _why_ he's been doing it all. It also seems that Salazar needs to 'get on the ball' so to speak and get his bum moving! Here's to hoping Nicholas can keep Albus in line! **CHEERS****


End file.
